The Ties That Bind Us
by KaiBlueOtaku
Summary: Renji Abarai and Shuhei Hisagi are close friends. But is it possible there's more than mere friendship there between them, simmering just beneath the surface? What will come ultimately of the changes happening between them, and what effects will it have on those around them? HalliGrimm in later chapters, story follows my personal AU starting in Resolution, see A/N's.
1. Chapter 1: Ink

**_SUMMARY: Renji Abarai and Shuhei Hisagi are close friends. But is it possible there's more than mere friendship there between them, simmering just beneath the surface? What will come ultimately of the changes happening between them, and what effects will it have on those around them?_**

**_ DISCLAIMER: Bleach and all its characters are owned by the talented Tite Kubo. I own only my story, and am merely borrowing them to tell it. I receive no payment for my writing._**

**_ WARNINGS: Slight AU. A fair amount of coarse language, especially after Grimmjow makes his appearance in later chapters, because we all know what a mouth he has on him. This is M/M Romance, and has mature, adult lemon content. Later chapters, there will be a threesome, so that will be M/M/M and I will also list this story with a Voyeurism warning, because there is a known spectator to that scene. You have been warned._**

**_A/N:This is my first MSlash piece. My Author Notes were originally very detailed and apologetic that this wasn't good Yaoi, and then someone very kindly pointed out to me the difference in the two genres, and now I'm done apologizing._**

**_I wrote this story first and foremost for myself, so I am crafting it as I see fit, and not to conform to some arbitrary set of rules concerning relative power levels of the partners, and other, more vague and difficult-to-define specifications._**

**_ They're people. And they're in love. And that's all that matters here. So, I'm telling that story, and if you're expecting some kind of formulaic plot that follows a genre standard, you might be disappointed._**

**_ Then again, if you go in with no expectations, maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised._**

**_It was pointed out to me that Shuu is a little submissive in this chapter; never fear, he bounces back in the second chapter, and it's explained._**

**_ So, please enjoy, read and review. No flames, but I do welcome constructive criticism, if it is kind and gentle in its presentation, and also PM's. Do keep in mind that this is my first MSlash piece to be published. The first one I actually wrote to completion is Desgarron, which will probably come as the third or fourth chapter of this story line, so that I don't end up with a problem again like I have with two of my other stories, Urahara's Arrancar Rehabilitation Center and Pina Colada Espada. (Those should have been published under a single, over-arcing title, because PCE comes two weeks on the heels of UARC, and follows the story line exactly.) I would re-issue them together under a single title, but I really don't want to lose all the comments and such I have already on them separately, so, there they sit. But I will avoid making the same mistake again, with this._**

_**This follows in the story line of my personal AU,though I've made pains to have it work just as well as a stand-alone piece. If you want to understand why, in later chapters, that Hallibel and Grimmjow are human, or learn more about the back story of any of the characters within my AU setting, here is the order of my other stories: Resolution, Urahara's Arrancar Rehabilitation Center, Pina Colada Espada, and then the others are side-plots and back stories that you can read in any order, they are not consecutive within the time-line.**_

_**Thank you for reading, please enjoy.**_

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"Oh yeah… That is sooo good…" Renji grinned at Shuhei as the darker-haired man angled a small mirror, displaying his handiwork in the form of some touch-ups to Renji's black, angular tattoos. "Those look great, Shuu, thanks. Nice and dark."

"It's the ink," Shuhei said with a smile as he laid the mirror on a nearby desk. "I get a special kind. It's more expensive, but it gets a really deep black, so it's worth it."

Renji pulled at his shoulder gently and eyed the touch-ups. "Thanks again, I owe you one."

Shuhei waved his hand dismissively. "It's nothing, Renji. Anything for a fellow tattoo enthusiast."

"Hey…" Renji draped his shihakusho (*1) over his shoulders like a cape, shivering as the cold, silky fabric glided over his sensitized flesh. "I could touch yours up for you too…"

Shuhei froze stock still. "Oh… No, that's ok." His voice became quiet and soft, and he looked away as he drew a stuttering breath.

"Oh, c'mon," Renji urged, elbowing him playfully. "Let me return the favor. It's not like I haven't worked a tattoo gun before. Besides, have you seen how faded this is getting?" Renji ran his finger across the black outline of the numbers "69" emblazoned on Shuhei's left cheek. "C'mon…"

_Shit… _Shuhei stiffened under the fingertips that brushed across his face so nonchalantly. "It's not…" he began, but Renji gave him a scathing glare, and the smaller man, wanting desperately to not have to explain himself, withered.

"Don't be an asshole, Shuu," Renji scolded. "I'm trying to repay you for the favor. I won't take no for an answer."

Shuhei turned and began sterilizing the tattoo gun and changing the needle, mumbling, "Ok," as he tried to steady his breath. He handed the cleaned device to Renji, and lay back on the couch in his living room, bracing himself.

The gun buzzed to life, and Renji's fingertips rested gently on Shuhei's cheek as he traced over the lines. The dark-haired man fluttered grey eyes and drew a jagged breath.

"You ok?" Renji asked, and Shuhei grunted in affirmation. "Does it hurt?"

"Yes…" Shuhei shuttered his eyes and forced his breathing to slow to a deliberate, metered pace.

Renji pulled the needle back and wiped at the specks of blood welling up with a clean rag. "Hey… What the hell?" He inspected the gun. "Shuhei, there's no ink left in this… Did you forget to reload it?"

Pale fingers closed over Renji's hand, and deftly switched the machine off, pulling it gently away and sliding it into the case. Shuhei stood from the couch and crossed the few steps over to the desk, where he laid the device down, his back to his friend as he struggled to compose himself. _Shit… This isn't how it was supposed to go, _he thought to himself, fighting to still the tremble he felt in his shoulders, hoping that it wasn't as visible as he felt it was.

"Hey," the red-haired Shinigami called from behind him. "I'm sorry if I hurt you…"

Shuhei gripped the edge of the desk tightly, his fingertips blanching as he endeavored to ground himself somehow. His own voice sounded distant and raw to him, almost alien to his ears as it somehow came out of him, against his will. "I like it," he said in a husky tone, before he could stop himself. His face grew instantly hot, knowing he couldn't take the words back now that they had left his lips, and he would most likely have to make an explanation for himself now. He was glad that his back was toward Renji, because he didn't want his friend to see his embarrassment.

"Huh?" Renji sounded confused.

"I like it," Shuhei repeated very softly, bowing his head shamefully, closing his eyes tight. "I… I like the pain. I tried to…" He gave a breathy chuckle, and shook his head. "…tried to tell you… I'm sorry. I didn't…"

"Are you ok?" Renji asked, his hand coming to rest lightly on Shuhei's shoulder in concern.

"I just… need a minute. I wasn't… I didn't mean for… I mean, we're _friends…_" The black haired man rambled incoherently in broken fragments, shaking his head.

"Well, yeah, we're friends," Renji repeated. "What of it?"

"I just… I'm sorry…" Shuhei raised a trembling hand to shield his face. "Maybe you should leave, Renji." _This is so embarrassing, _he thought. _I can't believe this is happening…_

He sensed Renji step closer to him, felt breath on his shoulder, and he bristled with electricity. A smooth voice spoke in his ear. "Maybe I don't _want _to leave…" The voice lowered, and he felt hot exhalations against his neck. "Maybe I want to hear what you're going to say…"

Shuhei's breath caught in his throat, and he glanced back at Renji, who had an unreadable expression on his face. "I don't think you're going to want to hear this," the slender-figured man suggested anxiously. He didn't want to be having this awkward conversation. Things had been fine for so long, and he'd always managed to keep his secret from his friend… _This is going to ruin everything, _he assured himself. _I can't bear for him to know. He won't understand, and I'll push him away. I can't open my mouth and chance ruining this closeness that we share… I would die without him here in my life. I'd rather live a painful half-truth, than bear the agony of a solitude without him…_

"Shuhei…"

The breathy whisper drew him out of his distracted introspections and sent a shiver up his spine. _Shit, how can he not see what he's doing to me? _he asked himself, turning away again.

"Tell me."

"I can't," Shuhei insisted, a sob trying to crawl its way out of his throat. "It'll ruin everything."

The silence was deafening. Neither man spoke, and finally Renji took pity on him, and offered him a way out. "How do you know it'll ruin things?"

"I just _do,_" Shuhei asserted. "I… I don't want to push you away, but I really think you should just _go _now."

"What if…"

He trembled and gasped as tanned hands came around his sides and slid across his abdomen, as a hard chest pressed against his back. A scorching breath puffed words in his ear that his brain could not comprehend, or believe that he was hearing.

"What if… it only made us _closer, _Shuu?"

The smaller of the two men squeezed his eyes tightly shut, his mind spinning wildly. _I am dreaming, _he told himself. _This can't be real. There's just no way…_

His eyes shot open in shock as he felt Renji nuzzling against the back of his neck and ears, peppering him with tiny kisses. "Don't think I never noticed, Shuu," Renji hissed. "I've seen the way you look at me. You're just too damn shy for your own good though. So, tell me _now…_" Shuhei shuddered and fell over the desk, landing on his forearms and he felt Renji's hips brush sensually against him, along with the hardness that was there. Renji leaned over him, pressing him against the desk, and whispering into his ear. "…Tell me what you were going to say."

Shuhei let loose with a moan, far beyond his ability now to stop himself, and straightened, leaning back into the taller man, who welcomed him with encompassing arms. "Oh, shit… Renji… I- I want you." He hung his head a bit with the pain that filled him then, at having finally spoken aloud those words that had lain so heavy on his heart for so many years.

"Mmm… Good." Renji's smile could be heard in his voice, and Shuhei gave a pleasured cry as the other man pulled him restrictively against his chest, arms crossed, hands resting on opposite hips as they tantalizingly caressed the soft hollows of his lower abdomen through his hakama (*2). "Now we can finally _do_ something about it."

Shuhei turned in the crushing embrace to face his captor. The hunger in his eyes was unmistakable, and Shuhei gasped as Renji grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him into a rough, forceful kiss, thrusting his tongue into the other's mouth. Shuhei whimpered and went slack against the desk, panting through his nose, his lips sealed in a heated entanglement of tongues and saliva. Renji sucked one of Shuhei's lips into his mouth and pulled back, teeth dragging fiercely across the lip.

Renji released his bite, and grinned at the shy embarrassment flushed across the dark-haired man's face. "Oh, c'mon, Shuu," he admonished quietly. "You don't have to be so bashful around me… Would it help to know that I've wanted you in return, for some time now?" Shuhei shuddered at the words, and countered with a hungry look. "I've been waiting for you to say something first… But I finally decided that you just needed a little bit of…" A knee pressed between Shuhei's thighs as Renji leaned in, and a slick tongue explored the convoluted folds of his ear. "…encouragement," the red-haired man finally finished in a whisper, and felt his friend slacken in his arms. "Damn, Shuu,"  
he chuckled. "What a rag-doll. Come over to the couch." He guided the wobbly man to the adjacent sofa and laid him down, immediately pressing on top of him with his full weight as he began to bite and suck at Shuhei's throat.

_This is amazing, _Shuhei thought with a wondrous shudder as he tipped his head back to further reveal more of the sensitive area to the firm embrace of Renji's attentive mouth.

"You're so quiet," Renji observed suddenly. "Are you always like this, Shuu?"

The older of the two men glanced away, face aflame. "No…"

Renji grinned, and gnawed lightly on the edge of his ear. "I'd like to hear you, if you're enjoying yourself, Shuu…"

He shuddered at the request, and whispered, "Harder."

"Hn?" Renji asked, not hearing the soft reply.

"Bite me harder," the dark-haired man pleaded breathily, followed by a low moan of pleasure as teeth sank deeply into his shoulder. "Oh… Please… Yes," he begged as he tangled his fingers in long, red hair, dislodging the tie that held it back. Vermillion cascaded around them and Shuhei gasped, looking up at the being leaned over him, running his fingers under the drape of his shihakusho, over the strong shoulders. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, combing his fingers gently through the long, cardinal locks that draped around both their faces, isolating them together behind their own little privacy curtain.

"Beautiful?" Renji smiled. "Really? I don't think I've ever been called that before… But considering the circumstances, I'll take that as a compliment," he added quickly, trying to allay the embarrassment on the other's face. He leaned in close, tongue darting out to taste his lover's mouth, teeth scraping against his lips as Shuhei's soft moans seeped into the room, saturating them both in the satisfaction of a long-unfulfilled desire.

The red-haired man slid his hands under the shihakusho of his friend, running fingertips over his abdomen and up his sides, reveling in the low whine that increased proportionately in volume to the amount of pressure with which he dragged his nails down that flesh. Giving a deep, clawing press, Renji was rewarded finally with an unrestrained wail of utter abandon as Shuhei writhed beneath him, pressing slender hips upward into his own.

"Ren… ji…" Shuhei was breathless as he slid the shihakusho off Renji's shoulders and onto the floor, revealing the maze of angular tattoos covering his upper chest and back, stretching across his shoulders and down his upper arms in deep, fresh lines. Shuhei hesitantly feathered his fingers across the raw, sensitized flesh, and Renji shivered, hissing in delight, falling on him again with renewed vigor. The darker-haired man gasped as Renji situated one of his thighs between Shuu's, grinding it into the front of his hakama. Renji pressed into the thigh he straddled, moaning pleasurably. His tongue traced the fresh lines on his partner's left cheek, drawing a whine from the slender man. He nipped along his jawline, and Shuhei gasped each time Renji's teeth closed on him, bucking in small, uncontrollable spasms.

"Look what you do to me, Senpai (*3)," Renji teased as he shifted his position to lay within the spread of his thighs, pressing against him, causing the both of them to cry out in tandem at the electricity of the moment.

Shuhei chuckled wryly between his moans. "Yeah, some 'senpai' I am," he muttered. "Look at who ended up the dominant one here…"

Renji stopped, seeming bothered by the bitter words. "Hey… You _are _my senpai," he insisted. "There's more there than just dominance between a senpai and his kohai (*4)… A guide, a protector, and a teacher."

"And what do I have now to teach you?" Shuhei insisted.

Renji's fingers brushed lightly on the tattooed cheek of the other man. "Teach me to love," he whispered, tears welling in his coffee-colored eyes and he twined his fingers with paler ones and held the other man's hand to his chest. "And protect my heart."

Shuhei's stormy grey eyes lightened, and he offered a soft smile, pressing his palm into Renji's chest. "And in exchange?"

"Loyalty," Renji murmured, pulling their hands up to place a kiss in the center of Shuhei's palm. "And maybe I'll do your laundry, too."

The slender man laughed mirthfully, and combed his fingers through the long, rose-colored hair that spilled around his face. "Why did I wait so long?" he wondered aloud.

"What, to do your laundry?"

Shuhei laughed again, and pushed at his shoulder playfully. "No, _baka _(*5)… To tell you how I felt about you." He signed heavily. "So much time wasted…"

"Why _did _you wait?" Renji asked.

Shuhei's eyes clouded over, again growing distant and sad. "I was afraid that you'd withdraw if you found out the truth, and I couldn't bear that thought… It was better to be close to you and suffer the pain of an unrequited love, than to confess and risk pushing you away… And risk losing you altogether."

Renji was speechless for a moment. "I'm so sorry, Shuu… I didn't know that you were suffering. I could never figure out why you didn't speak up. I've suspected for the longest time that you had feelings of more than just simple friendship toward me." Renji sighed. "This _does _complicate things quite a bit between us, doesn't it?"

Shuhei shrugged with a smile. "Not if we don't let it, Ren," he murmured, tucking a scarlet strand behind their owner's ear. "After all, what is a good kohai's role toward his senpai?" Renji shook his head, not exactly sure where Shuhei was leading with his line of questioning. "Loyalty, yes, but also to strive to respect, obey and please your senpai." Shuu gave him a coy grin. "…And you _do _want to please me, don't you?"

Renji smiled finally, and pressed slowly against the darker-haired man beneath him, who listed weakly to the side with a moan. "Yes, Senpai," he whispered as Shuhei pulled him into a hungry kiss.

"Then please me," Shuhei panted. "And take your own pleasure as you do, Kohai." He shifted back then, situating himself more upright against the arm of the couch, and Renji looked questioningly at him, sitting back on his heels. The dark-haired man smiled shyly, and took Renji's hand, freed by the change in position now that Renji was not hovering over him. He cast his eyes down, and began to lick Renji's first two fingers, sucking sensually on them, coating them with his saliva. Renji's eyes lit up at the realization of the unspoken request, but he could see the unsettled look on his partner's face.

"Hey…" Renji used his other fingers to turn the tattooed cheek so he could see that face, even while Shuhei continued to suck on the other two. "Shuu, what's the matter?" He pulled his hand from the determinedly working mouth, forcibly freeing it as he waited for a reply that was painfully long in coming.

"I… I don't want you to think I'm…" Shuhei struggled to find the right words. "I mean, I _want _this, I _do, _don't get me wrong… But I'm… I'm not really into… Guys." He focused intently on a strand of crimson hair, running it through his twisting fingers, then gave Renji a deep, soulful look. "It's… It's just _you, _Ren… Something about _you_…"

Renji pulled him into another kiss, this one slow and languorous, which somehow caused him to swell even more than the fiery, passionate ones from earlier had. When Renji pulled back, there was the glistening of gathering tears in his coffee-colored eyes.

"I have loved you for so long, Shuhei," he whispered, gripping him by the shoulders, looking him squarely in the eyes. "Do you really think that I'd be bothered by something like that, either way? I'm just glad to know that you feel the same way about me, after all this time. Nothing else matters." He pulled the slender man into his lap, wrapping his arms around him, crushing him to his chest in a tight embrace, which was returned with equal measure. "Just know that I'm here for you, however you need me… And if you don't want to do anything else today, or even _ever…"_

Shuhei pulled back sharply, giving Renji a shocked look as he pressed his fingers over his mouth to silence him. "Now, I never said _that,_" he corrected in a playful tone, and took Renji's hand again, resuming to lick and suck at the fingers. "I… I just wanted to let you know… I've never done this before. So, if it's… You know… Not what you're expecting…"

Renji pressed his fingers into Shuhei's mouth to stop him from speaking any further. "Who said I had expectations?" he asked. "I've never done this before either. But like you said… It's just _you, _Shuu. I never wanted something like this before, but I guess it's because I never found such a perfect soul as you, before now. I feel like you complete me, and none of the other details beyond that matter to me. I just want to be with you, and make you happy… Give you everything…" Shuhei smiled around the fingers, and Renji withdrew them, replacing them with his tongue in the dark-haired man's mouth.

One of Shuhei's hands slid down and he tugged at the sash of Renji's hakama, untying it.

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Renji took the exhausted Shuhei in his arms, laying him down on the couch, adjusting their disarrayed clothing as he sidled up beside him, stroking his chest lightly. "We waited too long for this, Shuu," he said apologetically. "I'm sorry I didn't ever say anything before now…"

"Renji," Shuhei whispered, turning into him again in a passionate kiss. "Don't' apologize. What's done is done. Water under the bridge… Ink… Under the skin…" His fingertips grazed over the abraded flesh of the tattoos covering Renji's chest. "The past can't be changed. But we'll make the most of it, now that we _do _know."

Renji nuzzled against Shuhei's cheek, tongue teasing at the "69" emblazoned there. "Next time though," he said teasingly, "We are going to touch up your tattoo, for real."

Shuhei gave his Renji a lascivious grin. "Just remember, though…"

The red-head smiled back. "Yeah, yeah, I know… You like the pain." He kissed him, both of them sighing from out of the deep satisfaction of their souls. "Next time, I'll be expecting it," he assured his lover as dark hair rested on Renji's tattooed chest, and they both drifted off into a peaceful, contented sleep in each other's arms.

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1*- Shihakusho- the traditional uniform of the Shinigami, or Soul Reapers; a simple black robe-like garment, usually worn with a white under-robe.

2*- Hakama- part of the traditional uniform of the Soul Reapers, similar to pants, gathered in folds at the waist, and tied with a sash.

3*- Senpai- The Senpai/Kohai dynamic is an essential element of Japanese seniority-based status relationships. The _senpai_ is roughly equivalent to the Western concept of a mentor. Senpai/Kohai relationships generally last for as long as the two people concerned stay in contact, even if the original context in which the senpai was senior is no longer relevant. More than simple seniority, senpai implies a relationship with reciprocal obligations, somewhat similar to a mentoring relationship. The senpai must guide, protect, and teach their kohai as best they can. Shuhei was a Senior student in Shinigami Academy when Renji was a Freshman, and oversaw some of his field training.

4*- Kohai- Kohai is roughly equivalent to the idea of a 'protégé,' though in Japanese, these terms do not imply as strong a relationship as these words mean in the West. More simply, these may be translated as _senior_ and _junior_, or as an _elder_ compared with someone _younger_ in the family/company/organization; the terms are used more widely than a true mentor/protégé in the West. There is usually no average separation in age between a senpai and his or her kohai. In a Japanese school sports clubs, such as a baseball team, the kohai are usually expected to perform various menial tasks for the senpai including washing clothes and cleaning. A kohai is expected to respect and obey their senpai.

*5- Baka- the Japanese translates literally as 'fool,' though depending on the inflection and use, its meaning can vary widely, from 'dummy' to a more crass and scathing meaning closer to the American insults 'asshole' or 'bastard'

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**_A/N: Aaah! *sigh* I needed something that had a WAFF ending! Now I feel happy. There will be more lemon to come, probably around chapter 3 or 4. That chapter is already written, actually; it was intended to be a separate story, but I decided to put it under the same heading, since it all kind of runs together with the story line, I just have to write one or two chapters to bridge the two stories. Hallibel and Grimmjow will be making an entrance soon, and I will warn you; the next lemon will be a threesome between Ren, Grimm and Shuu. And Hallibel watches. Oh, my… Yes, I did. Yum. Which will be immediately followed by a chapter of lemon between just Hallibel and Grimmjow. Be still my beating heart, hehe…_**

**_Remember, if you're reading this on FanFiction, you may have noticed the lemon was missing, indicated by the double row of section-breaks (what I affectionately refer to as the "lemon scar"). The full, uncut version of this story is available over on Adult-FanFiction, because I have had problems with vigilantes in the past, who like to report people for lemon content (which is technically against the EULA here, sexually graphic and explicit content being considered MA, and not just M)._**

**_ So, if you like something a little more racy and you're 18 or older, head over to my account on AFF under the same pen name of KaiBlueOtaku and search the story under the same title. All of my full, uncut lemons are listed on my account over there._**

**_ I hope you enjoyed this, as I said, it might be a little different from what people are expecting, but I have to write what's in my heart, and this story has been nagging me for some time. I appreciate your reviews, or even a PM, if you have something specific or detailed about this that you'd like to discuss in a more private setting. Second chapter is in progress. Thank you again for reading, I'll see you soon._**

**_~KaiBlueOtaku_**


	2. Chapter 2: Naughty & Nice

**_THE TIES THAT BIND US, Chapter 2_**** – Naughty & Nice**

**_SUMMARY: Renji Abarai and Shuhei Hisagi are close friends. But is it possible there's more than mere friendship there between them, simmering just beneath the surface? What will come ultimately of the changes happening between them, and what effects will it have on those around them?_**

**_ DISCLAIMER: Bleach and all its characters are owned by the talented Tite Kubo. I own only my story, and am merely borrowing them to tell it. I receive no payment for my writing._**

**_ WARNINGS: A fair amount of coarse language, especially after Grimmjow makes his appearance in later chapters, because we all know what a mouth he has on him. This is M/M Romance, and has mature, adult lemon content. Later chapters, there will be a threesome, so that will be M/M/M and I will also list this story with a Voyeurism warning, because there is a known spectator to that scene. You have been warned._**

**_A/N: I'm coming down with a cold, so the third chapter of this won't probably be as quick in coming as I would like... But if I don't take care of myself first and foremost, I'll be out of the game for even longer._**

**_I hope you enjoy this chapter. It didn't run quite the way I had originally planned, but sometimes they have their own ideas about what they're going to do, and I love it just the way it is now. Please leave me a review in exchange for my efforts, if you enjoyed it._**

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The early dawn filtered through the window, warming Renji's face, and he squinted against the bright light. For a moment his mind reeled, when he realized he was not in his own bed. Then as he felt the soft, spiky black locks of Shuhei Hisagi snuggle into his chest as he rustled lightly in his slumber, remembrance descended upon him, and it all came back to him in a flood.

He was a little overwhelmed, to be honest. He couldn't believe they'd finally said- and _done_- the things that had been in both of their minds and hearts for so long. He was worried that things would be awkward now between them, and also that his boldness last night in initiating things between the two of them might be misconstrued by Shuhei. True, they had been drinking a bit when the tattoo gun had come out, and Shuhei had suggested to touch up Renji's tattoos, but Renji knew that he himself had not been drunk enough to blame his behavior on. He just hoped the same was true for Shuhei.

He had seemed awfully quiet and compliant, and Renji knew that, while usually controlled and reserved overall, his friend was no shrinking violet. He looked down at the peaceful, sleeping face of Shuhei, and wanted so badly to wake him, to ask him all these questions and more, to find answers that his heart had been yearning for, for far too long, from the soft, delicious lips of the attractive older man who lay in his arms.

He couldn't bring himself to wake him though. He pondered for a few moments, what this meant. _He's beautiful, _Renji thought wistfully. _I want to touch his face, but I don't want to disturb his sleep… I could wake up to this every morning, and be so, so happy. Just laying here, watching him sleep, while the sun comes up. _A soft smile came across Renji's face, an uncommon sight, almost as if the light of dawn had melted his heart in this moment, along with the peaceful warmth of the man at his side.

As the sun rose higher, the patch of sunlight was slowly creeping, and it threatened to shine into Shuhei's eyes. Renji raised his hand across his chest, shielding the sleeping Shuhei from its assault. It was a simple gesture, and one which Shuhei might never have known, had he not woken of his own accord a few minutes later.

He blinked for a moment, disoriented by the same confusion that seemed to have gripped Renji upon his own waking. He drew back from the hand that was placed very closely to his face, and looked up to see Renji watching him, the soft smile still on his lips.

Shuhei smiled back, sighing and melting into Renji in warm, drowsy comfort. "Good morning," he murmured, sleep still heavy in his voice.

"Good morning to_ you_," Renji replied.

Shuhei touched a finger to Renji's hand. "What's this all about?" he questioned, noting that Renji's rigid and unnatural positioning seemed somehow purposeful. Renji withdrew his hand, and blinding light poured through the window and into Shuhei's eyes. "Oh, fuck me!" he cried in dismay, his hand flying to his face as Renji resumed his position with a chuckle. Shuhei joined in the laughter, rubbing at his eyes as spots swam before him.

"Is that an invitation?" Renji teased. Shuhei glanced up at him in confusion, mind still clouded by sleep for a moment before the realization hit him.

He laughed and pushed up, adjusting his position so he was laying on top of Renji, facing away from the window so as not to be blinded again. "Not this morning, we've both got work," he said, and Renji whined and pouted. "Come back tonight though, and maybe we can switch things up a little bit," Shuhei murmured suggestively, grinding his hips against Renji's, and the red-head gave a sharp intake of breath, accompanied by a low moan.

"That answers _that _question," Renji muttered with a chuckle. Shuhei looked at him with curiosity. "Oh, while I was watching you sleep… I get to thinking sometimes, you know. About stuff. And I was wondering just how drunk you were last night, and if…" Renji made a displeased face, and looked away, leaving the sentence trailing.

Shuhei brought a hand up, and turned Renji's face to his, pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss, followed by a progression of increasingly intense ones, until they were fully making out again on the couch. He finally pulled back, breathless, and smiled at Renji. "Do you have any idea how happy I was, to wake up and see you here this morning? To know that it wasn't just another dream?"

Renji smiled. "I have an idea, yeah…" Then a thought struck him. "Hey, wait a minute… You've had dreams about me?"

Now it was Shuhei's turn to chuckle. He laid his head against the tattooed chest, rubbing his soft hair into it. "Oh sure. Lots of times. None as nice as the real thing, though."

"Well damn," Renji muttered. "That's no fair… Here here now, what about these dreams? I want to know."

Shuhei grinned perversely. "Oh, in due time…" He sighed peacefully, tracing his finger over the tattoos, wanting very badly for it to be his tongue instead, but knowing they both had to get ready for work soon. "Do you want some coffee?" he offered.

Renji's face screwed up instantly, his unpleasant first experience with coffee coming to mind. "Do you have any sugar?" he asked.

Shuhei gave him a peck on the lips, and lay there, staring expectantly at the confused Renji, then feigned realization. "_Ohhh, _you meant sugar for the _coffee_…" he said in an over-exaggerated tone, and pushed himself up, heading toward his kitchenette. "Of course I have sugar, _baka_, what kind of an uncivilized heathen do you think I am, to offer someone coffee with no sugar?"

Renji sat up and watched Shuhei bustling about, filling the small percolator with water, then coffee grounds, and setting it on the hot plate. He glanced back over his shoulder, and was startled to see a strange look in Renji's eyes. "What?" he asked.

"It's just…" Renji shook his head. "I just can't believe it. I'm still a little in shock." Shuhei smiled softly, and came to sit next to Renji on the couch, laying his hand comfortingly on Renji's thigh. "I mean, what do I call you?" Renji blurted out. "Are you my lover? Boyfriend? 'Special Friend?' I mean…"

Shuhei started cracking up. "Not that last one, please. That's awful Renji, really…" He brought his hand to Renji's cheek, seeing he was sincerely troubled by this. "I'm sorry to laugh, Ren… I don't know. What makes you the most comfortable?"

Renji chewed his lip for a moment. "I guess 'boyfriend…' 'Lover' sounds kind of pretentious to me…"

Shuhei nodded. "It's funny you say that, because I actually prefer 'lover' I think, personally."

"Well, I mean, I can be accommodating to that, I could get used to calling you that, I guess…" Renji scrambled, backpedaling to avoid hurting Shuhei's feelings.

Shuhei cocked his head, his brow furrowed in pity as he took Renji's face in his hands. "Oh my gosh, Renji, _slow down_. You're making my head spin… I can be your boyfriend, and you can be my lover, or whatever we want as time goes on, ok? Don't over-think this, please. You're panicking. I mean, what flavor of frosting do you want on our wedding cake?"

Renji's eyes widened, and became distant. "Wait… Wedding cake? What?..."

Shuhei laughed, and patted his cheek. "Calm down, is all I'm trying to say, Ren. You're putting the cart in front of the horse, getting ahead of yourself, worrying about things that won't be a problem for quite a while yet…" He turned Renji's face, and smiled softly at his lover. "Honestly, we don't even have to tell anybody yet, if you don't want to. I'm fine with that. It'll come, in time. It's just the first day, Ren… Lets just be happy together, here in this moment. Don't think so far into the future." Shuhei stood and went to the rattling percolator, switching the heat off. "Geez, I'm glad you weren't like this yesterday… We'd have both woken up in our own beds again." He retrieved a couple of sturdy ceramic mugs from the cabinet, and poured coffee into them in equal measure. "How much sugar to you want?"

"A lot," Renji assured him, and watched Shuhei put five or six sugar cubes into the cup, swirling the liquid to dissolve them as he came back to the couch and handed it off. Renji took a sip. "Maybe a little less next time."

Shuhei smiled. "We've got time."

"What does _that _mean?"

Shuhei sat down, wrapping his hands around his mug as he pulled his feet up onto the couch, crossing his legs, taking a long drink. "Time to learn all that stuff. How you take your coffee. Which side of the bed you're going to sleep on." Shuhei leaned over and whispered into Renji's ear, his breath hot and robust-smelling from his drink. "How to make you moan and call my name…"

Renji shuddered, and gave Shuhei a scathing glare. "We _do _have to go to work today, you know," he reminded the lewdly grinning man at his side. "What happened to the quiet, submissive Shuhei, from last night?"

Shuhei cocked an eyebrow. "Why, are you complaining?"

Renji shrugged. "Not really, it's actually pretty fucking hot to hear you talking a little dirty to me," he admitted, slightly embarrassed. "It's just… Last night, you were so…"

"I think I was in shock, Ren," the dark-haired man confessed. "Like, actual, clinical shock. Honestly, that was the last thing in the world I ever expected from you. If I'd ever thought for an instant that you'd have been interested, I wouldn't have waited so long." He sipped his mug thoughtfully. "You know, it's crazy how I just got to feeling closer and closer with you. Somewhere, some day, it kind of tipped a balance, I guess. Got to be more than just friendship. By the time I realized what it was, I was too far gone to pull it back, so I just sat on it. Hunkered down, and kept my mouth shut. You never showed me an inkling of anything, until last night…" Shuhei grinned, and elbowed Renji gently. "When you jumped my bones… Geez Ren, were you planning that or something?"

Renji ran his fingers through his long, tangled hair, and stared off, thinking. "Not exactly. I mean, I'd noticed a while ago, with you. Just little things."

"Like what?" Shuhei leaned head on Renji's shoulder, listening with his eyes closed.

Renji's mouth pursed as he tried to remember any specific instances. "Sometimes, when you'd hand me something, it seemed like you'd make an effort to touch my hand. At first, I just thought that was me being weird and crazy, seeing stuff where there wasn't anything. But then, I noticed, you'd watch me really carefully while we were drinking… You were so attentive, you know?"

"I like to listen to you talk," Shuhei said, with a peaceful sigh. "Your voice is nice."

"That is such a weird compliment, Shuu," Renji laughed, earning himself a sharp poke in the ribs. "Okay, okay, sorry…" he laughed. "Hmm, what else… OH! There was that one time, after training, I caught you watching me in the showers."

"You liar," Shuhei snapped. "I never…"

"Yes, you did," Renji cut him off. "I swear. Remember? I was scrubbing a little too vigorously at my crotch…"

Shuhei's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, I _do _remember that now…" Renji broke into peals of laughter at Shuhei's horrified embarrassment. "I didn't know you saw me watching… I remember that. You were just drenched in sweat, it had been so hot that day... The water was nice and cool, and you closed your eyes, tipped your head back, getting your hair wet, and started making these… Noises…" His voice caught in his throat, then he gave Renji a cold look. "I mean, _really_? Were you just messing with me?" Renji was laughing hysterically, tears coming from the corners of his eyes, and he nodded, gasping for breath as Shuhei gave him a shove. "Really? Seriously? You were messing with me? You asshole," he chuckled, crossing his arms in mock-irritation.

Renji wiped at his tears. "I'm sorry… I had been waiting for everybody else to leave. Don't you remember, it was just you and me left? I decided, hey, perfect opportunity, if you wanted to make your move. I left you wide open on that one, Shuu. I even started moaning a little, and touching myself, just to encourage you. And you just stood there, gaping, like a fish out of water. Of course, when I looked over, you played it all cool. But my eyes weren't closed all the way, Shuu…"

"I wish you would have just made a move then," Shuhei admitted. "Why did you wait so long?"

"You're older. I respect you. You're my Senpai. I didn't want to seem, you know… Too forward," Renji said, appearing uncomfortable. "I waited and waited forever. There were other times, and the opportunity was there, and you just never took it. I started to think maybe I was just crazy, maybe it was all in my head… And then you'd do something else, and I'd realize, no, I wasn't making it up. Last night was just the last straw, I couldn't let it go any more. I could see you were on the edge of confessing, you just needed a little push, so I pushed you. I'm glad I did." He swirled his coffee. "Why didn't you take the bait, that day in the shower? I thought it was a perfect opportunity."

Shuhei shook his head. "I was too afraid it would seem weird to you. I mean, you've always been into women. Your best friend- no, your best _guy _friend- coming over in the shower and trying to get physical with you? I could have startled you, and then we'd both have slipped and cracked our heads on the tile. That would have been a lot of fun, explaining _that_ at the infirmary." He huffed bitterly. "I was happy to watch. File it away for later."

Renji's eyes widened. "Are you serious? Really?"

Shuhei grinned shyly. "Hey, don't judge me. Lonely nights. And you're right, we _were_ the only ones there, now that I think about it, because I remember how much it turned me on thinking that your moans were for my ears alone." Shuhei assessed Renji's incredulous look. "What, don't tell me that it bothers you _that much_ to find out that I masturbated to memories of you in the shower?"

"No, it's not that…" Renji grinned, his face coloring slightly. "But does it bother _you_ to know that I was jacking off later that night myself, over the same memory?"

Shuhei set his coffee cup on the floor, eyes fixed on Renji, utterly aghast. "You did not. You are messing with me, Renji Abarai."

"I swear to you, I'm not, Shuu. I really did."

Shuhei stood up off the couch, and kneeled on the couch, straddling Renji's lap, pressing him back in a hungry kiss. "That is so incredibly fucking hot, Renji," he gasped breathily, mouth working at his neck as Renji shuddered beneath him. "You have no idea…"

Renji lay there for a few moments, enjoying the attention, then snapped to alertness. "Oh shit, Shuu, we've got to get ready for work!"

Shuhei pulled back in disappointment. "Yeah, I guess you're right… But you know what's going to make work today fun?" Renji waited for the punch line, and Shuhei leaned in close with a lascivious grin on his face. "All throughout the day, you're going to think of me, and last night. And it's going to make you all hot and bothered. And you're going to come over tonight all riled up…" he whispered, even though there was no one else to hear. "And then we're going to have a sleepover again."

"I'll pack a bag this time, before coming over," Renji said, wrapping his arms around Shuhei's slender waist. "I'm just going to have to wear this same shihakusho again today. One of yours sure as hell won't fit me, and I don't have time to run home and get changed. Do you care if I use your shower?"

Shuhei pretended to think about it for a moment. "Hmmm… Well, okay, I guess." He flashed another lewd grin. "…But only if I get to watch."

Renji returned his naughty look. "Why watch, when you can join me?"

WWWWWWWWWW

Shuhei grabbed them some towels, which only took a second, but when he got into the bathroom, Renji was already magically stripped out of his clothes, and standing under the water. He gave Shuhei a sly grin and tipped his head back, letting the water run through his hair, and began to make quiet, pleasured noises, rubbing himself with the soapy washrag. Shuhei leaned against the doorframe, watching him appreciatively, then sighed, grinning. "You need some help over there, Renji?"

"Well, sure, Shuu," Renji teased as his boyfriend quickly undressed himself and stepped into the shower stall. "You wanna scrub my back?"

Shuhei wrapped his fingers around Renji's half-erect length, humming happily as it swelled in his hand. "I'd rather help you with your front…"

Renji chuckled mischievously. "We're supposed to be getting clean in here, Shuu."

Shuhei pressed the redhead against the wall of the shower stall, the water cascading over the two of them, making their bodies slide against each other. He leaned in and bit Renji's shoulder, licking and sucking at his ear. "Well, let's get good and dirty first, ok?" he whispered.

Renji moaned at the suggestion, and reached for Shuhei's arousal, already much harder than he himself was. "Well, _somebody's_ a little worked up this morning…" the redhead joked, stroking in time to the rhythm that Shuhei's hand had set on himself.

"This is pent up energy that's been building for a long time, my lover," Shuhei murmured into Renji's ear, and he shuddered, bowing his head against Shuhei's shoulder, panting.

"Yeah, I like that," Renji moaned.

"You like what? When I stroke your cock?"

Renji moaned again, louder this time, and sagged against Shuhei a bit. "That too…"

"When I talk dirty to you?"

The redhead smiled, eyes narrowed and glazed with lust. "Of course _that_… But…"

"But what?" Shuhei insisted, leaning his forehead against Renji's shoulder, mirroring his posture.

"When you call me that," Renji admitted.

"Lover?" Shuhei asked, and Renji shivered again, nodding against his shoulder. "Is that because you like the idea of being my lover, Kohai?" the dark-haired man taunted in a husky tone, speeding his strokes at the increase of the volume of Renji's moans. He pressed Renji between his body and the wall, their fists rubbing against one another as they pumped in unison.

Shuhei gasped as he came, leaning softly against Renji as it ripped through his body in a violent convulsion, blackness spinning momentarily before his eyes as he spilled all over the floor of the shower, landing some of it on Renji's abdomen. He pulled himself together, then knelt and glanced up at Renji with that hungry, predatory look which the younger man was so beginning to love, knowing it was _only _for him. Shuhei's tongue snaked out and lapped at the splash he had left on Renji's well-muscled stomach, working his way over and down, replacing his hand with a hot mouth. Renji couldn't help but stare down at the erotic sight of the dark, downy soft hair, slowly becoming saturated, dripping with rivulets of water that chased down Shuhei's face and sinewy body in a way that made Renji suddenly jealous, wishing they were his fingers and tongue along that pale flesh, tasting the flavor of the sweat that clung there, dried from the previous night's activities, as his beloved bobbed in long, slow strokes, fingers massaging at his thighs, creeping up and teasing at his entrance.

Renji's head fell back, and he tensed with a guttural cry as he climaxed, fingers twining in the shaggy black mop of wet hair, tugging it at the roots in an effort to ground himself as the world slipped away from him for just a moment, replaced by the all-consuming pinnacle of ecstasy he was so absorbed in.

Shuhei pulled back and stood with a graceful and fluid motion, something that only such a lithe and compact body as his could accomplish in such a confined space. He gave Renji a smile, and pressed him into a heated kiss, which tasted sharp from the remnants of the fluid he had swallowed as though it were some delicious treat. A speck had escaped, and Renji removed it from his lip with a flick of his tongue. "You're something else, you know that?" Renji said in utter wonder, sliding his hands along the well-defined lines of the older man's body.

"Would you have it any other way?" Shuhei teased.

"I'll have it any way I can," Renji admitted, a half-joking, half-sincere look on his face as Shuhei broke into brash laughter.

WWWWWWWWWW

They both ended up being late.

This wasn't too much of a problem for Shuhei, who still had no captain over his squad, since Tosen had left the position vacant when he had defected to Hueco Mundo.

It was, however, a _huge_ problem, for Renji.

_Of all the captains for me to be placed under… Why_ him_, today, of all days? _Renji lamented as he slunk into the office. He tried to look confident, but he wasn't sure it worked. Byakua glanced up at him with that emotionless, stoic expression he always wore, and only cocked an eyebrow as Renji strode across the room toward his desk. "Good morning, _Taicho_," Renji said cheerily, trying to be unassuming and sincere, and positive that it came out guilty and sheepish instead. Byakua's eyes followed him across the room, and held him pinned as he sat at his desk, shuffling through his pile of paperwork for the morning. The silence grew until Renji felt he would be smothered by it, and he wished, not for the first time, that he worked under a captain more like Kenpachi, who would just chew your face off if he was mad.

"Abarai…"

Renji withered, and glanced up, finally knowing he'd been had. It was almost a relief; anything was better than Byakua's disapproving stare boring into his head from across the room all day long.

"Your uniform looks as though you slept in it," the Noble Kuchiki reprimanded him with soft distain, and Renji choked, unable to open his mouth to confess that was indeed the case. "Take more pride in your presentation, Lieutenant. Your appearance is a reflection of the honor of the Sixth Division, and the Gotei Thirteen overall." He turned back to his papers. "And if you are late again, I will be forced to take disciplinary action," he added.

And that was it. Conversation over. Renji heaved a huge sigh, suddenly thankful now that he worked for Byakua. Kenpachi or any of the others would probably have grilled him on his whereabouts, he realized, and wanted to know the reason for his tardiness. But the Noble head of the Kuchiki clan couldn't be bothered by such nonsense. He couldn't have cared less _why _Renji had been late, and for that, Renji was truly thankful. He had been scrambling to come up with a good excuse, and none had come to him, which was probably a good thing in the end, because he was a terrible liar anyway, and he knew his discerning captain would have seen right through it. With a relieved sigh and a mumbled, "_Hai, Taicho,_" Renji settled in and began to pore over the reports.

The work day was intolerably long. After what felt like thousands of forms, and hours and hours of impatient sitting, it was finally time for lunch. Byakua excused himself and left for home, as he often did during his lunch hour, instead of eating in the division break room, or at his desk, as Renji was more in the habit of doing.

Renji reached into the drawer of his desk to retrieve an apple, which he kept there for busy days. After a bit of blind scrabbling came up empty-handed, he yanked open the drawer and discovered a note with a crudely drawn apple, above the letters "I.O.U." and the signature of the Eleventh Squad Lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi. Renji's empty stomach rumbled, perhaps cursing his luck as much as his mouth was at that moment, and he regrettably elected instead to tip his chair back and sleep through his lunch period.

A knocking woke him some time later, and he cracked an eye, surprised to see Shuhei leaning against the door frame of the office. There was a sack in his hand, and he held it aloft. "I bought us some bento, are you hungry?"

"Shit yes!" Renji cried eagerly, pushing paperwork to the side as the dark-haired Lieutenant made his way across the Sixth Division office and perched himself on the corner of Renji's desk. He fished one of the boxes out of the sack, handing it to Renji, and took the other for himself. "I thought you were too cheap to buy take-out," Renji mumbled around a mouthful of rice.

"Not true," Shuhei declared haughtily. Then he gave a sheepish grin. "Tuesdays are 'buy one get one free' on bento… So I thought I'd treat you."

"Thank you," Renji said sincerely, and they locked eyes, a moment of lingering warmth passing between them. "That little pink-haired rat Yachiru took the apple out of my desk, so I was just going to skip lunch today," he explained, reaching into his desk and flashing the I.O.U. to Shuhei, who studied it with a smirk.

"Well, at least she had the courtesy to leave you the note," Shuhei offered, but Renji only glowered as he dropped the page back into the drawer, slamming it closed. "I'm glad now that I brought you something. With nothing but coffee for breakfast, skipping lunch would have made you weak and shaky by evening. Not the sort of state I wanted you in." Shuhei grinned lewdly as Renji choked on a piece of his lunch, and glared at the slender man seated on his desk.

"You're incorrigible," Renji accused him, getting some water from the cooler behind his desk, sipping it as he continued to cough hoarsely.

"Don't I know it," Shuhei retorted. "I've got a lot of lost time to be making up for." He leaned back on Renji's desk, looking positively sultry as he riffled through Renji's stack of papers. "What are you working on here?"

"Nothing exciting," Renji said with a shrug. "Profiles on the incoming recruits, just updating their division placements and details." Renji turned and refilled his water glass at the water cooler, taking another drink. "I'll be glad we're doing field training tomorrow, to get out from behind this stupid desk."

"Maybe I'll see you out there tomorrow," Shuhei said. "And maybe we can take our time and hang back a bit in the locker room afterwards…"

"Fucking hell, Shuhei!" Renji's face turned as red as his hair, and he shoved the laughing Shuhei off his desk. "I've created a monster! You just don't stop!"

Shuhei leaned in close, giving a breathy whisper that send chills racing up Renji's spine. "You like it though, I can tell… And besides," he added, "It's too much fun to tease you." He glanced over at the empty desk across the room, sitting along the wall perpendicular to Renji's. "Does Kuchiki Taicho always go out for lunch?"

"Yeah, he usually goes home to eat."

"Hmmm…" Shuhei leaned down on the desk and canted his hips, resting his chin in his hand. "Well then, maybe we'll have to make these lunch dates a regular thing."

"You're not going to buy us lunch every day," Renji scoffed, narrowing his eyes in disbelief.

"No… I was going to pack something tonight," Shuhei said suggestively, and reached over the desk to brush his fingertips across Renji's lap and over his hip, grabbing his backside in a firm grope.

"You'd better get out of my office, Lieutenant Hisagi, before I file sexual harassment on you," Renji scolded with a coy grin.

Shuhei stood and gave a languorous stretch. "I probably _should _get back, actually." His disappointment was evident in his tone. "With no captain over Division Nine right now, all of the paperwork is falling squarely on me. I've got to be at least a week behind right now." He stuffed the remnants of his lunch into the bag and headed toward the door, tossing a sly glance back over his shoulder. "Remember to stop at home and grab a bag before coming over tonight."

Renji rolled his eyes. "Ugh, no joke. I got my ass chewed by the Taicho this morning… He told me it looked like I'd slept in my shihakusho."

Shuhei gaped in depraved amusement. "What did you say?"

"Are you kidding me?" Renji cried. "I didn't say _shit!_ He was going on and on about 'pride' and 'honor' and 'nobility' and 'representing,' and then finally told me that if I was late again, he'd write me up." Renji picked at the remainder of his lunch. "Thank goodness he's not the conversational type, or I might have had to come up with some kind of explanation."

Shuhei snickered. "You're too cute when you're embarrassed, do you know that?"

The redhead gave a half-joking scowl and plucked a wadded up page from the top of the waste paper basked, pitching it at the Lieutenant and hitting him in the shoulder with it, causing them both to laugh. "Get out of here, you pervert… Go do your paperwork." Renji paused, then dropped the sarcasm, giving his lover a gentle, sincere smile. "Seriously though, thank you for dropping by. This has been the longest day ever, for some reason. I just want to be with you."

"I know," Shuhei agreed with a laborious sigh. "But it'll be over before too much longer. We'll be together again before you know it." He flashed a mischievous grin, then left.

Renji was already working on his paperwork when Byakua returned from his lunch break. He seemed surprised to see his lieutenant already buried elbow-deep in forms again. "Just making up my time from this morning," he offered, and the captain gave a slight smile and nodded his approval of Renji's renewed dedication to his work ethic.

Around three in the afternoon, there was a knock at the door, and Shuhei walked in.

"Good afternoon, Hisagi Fukutaicho," Byakua greeted him cordially. "To what do we owe the honor of your visit today?"

"Good afternoon, Kuchiki Taicho," Shuhei replied politely. Renji noted the documents in his hand. "I have some profiles here from the incoming recruits for your division, which seem to have ended up in my office." He handed them to Byakua, who quickly scanned over them.

"Hmm, strange," he commented and stood, heading into the adjacent room to return the profiles to the filing cabinet.

"Taicho," Shuhei called through the open doorway, "I have something I could use a hand with, if you could spare Abarai Fukutaicho for a while?"

Byakua was returning to his desk as he replied, "Of course. Abarai, please assist Hisagi Fukutaicho with whatever he needs your help with." He turned his focus back toward his stack of forms on his desk, effectively dismissing the both of them.

"Thank you, Taicho," Shuhei said, then turned and walked out. Renji chased after him, confused as to what task the Ninth Division lieutenant might need his assistance with.

"Hey, Shuu, show down!" he called, but the darker haired man had a good lead on him already, and made it to the Ninth Division's office first. "What did you need my help with?" Renji asked him, but Shuhei only opened a door and gestured inside. Renji went through, but came up short when he realized that it was just a storage closet. "Shuu, what…"

Renji heard the door knob latching closed, then the lock clicking. He turned around to see the stormy grey eyes of his lover fixed intently on him. "I took them," he said, the corner of his mouth quirking up.

"Wait… What?"

"The profiles." He pressed Renji to the back wall, tongues entangling in a fevered kiss. "While you were refilling your glass from the water cooler." More kissing. "So I had an excuse to come over to your office later."

"But what did you need my help with?" Renji asked again, confused.

"You are so adorably dense sometimes." Shuhei stepped back, grinning as he untied his hakama and let it drop to the floor. "I can't very well suck myself off, now can I?"

Renji was incredulous, clutching his head as it spun. "Are you kidding me? You asked my captain to let me come help you with something like _this_?"

Shuhei jerked a thumb over his shoulder toward the door he blocked. "The latch has been sticking. We'll say we took it off the hinges, if anybody asks. But they won't, if you're quick about it."

"You've got some brass, Shuu," Renji said, shaking his head. "During work? Really?"

The older man crossed his arms in mock sternness, and did his best to hide his smirk. "Your captain ordered you to assist me with _whatever _I needed help with, Abarai Fukutaicho. If you disobey your captain's orders, I'll have to consider that insubordination, and will have you written up."

Renji grinned. "You're a dick."

Shuhei grabbed a fistful of the front of Renji's shihakusho, and leaned in to his ear. "Then suck me," he taunted the younger lieutenant in a whisper.

Renji shuddered and kneeled in obedience, a sly glint in his eye as his tongue swirled around the head of Shuhei's swollen arousal, fingers tightening along the length as the older man gave a soft moan, leaning back against the door.

Shuhei had been right; It didn't take long. Between the surprising skill of his lover's untrained mouth, and the added thrill of them doing this in secret, it was only a matter of minutes before Shuhei tangled his fingers in Renji's crimson hair, gave an almost inaudible sharp intake of breath, and came. Renji managed to contain it all, and quickly swallowed any evidence, lest he end up with some on his uniform and receive a _really _scathing chastisement from his captain, which he wanted to have to explain even less than his rumpled uniform. Shuhei gave him an endearing smile as he stood, pulling him into a kiss.

"Have I assisted you to the degree of your satisfaction in this matter, Lieutenant?" Renji asked playfully.

His partner pressed a finger to his lip thoughtfully. "Hmm… For the time being, I suppose. Although later, I'd like a little something more." He grabbed a double handful of Renji's muscular backside, pulling him against his chest into another kiss. He could feel the slight harness of Renji's own arousal, and he laughed lightly, letting him go. "Looks like you're looking forward to that as well…"

"Damn straight," Renji chuckled. "I should probably run though, before things get suspicious."

Shuhei pouted in resignation, but stepped aside, opening the door. Renji gave him a quick kiss, then waved, heading back to his own Division's office.

Shuhei leaned in the doorway, sighing with unrestrained longing as he watched the tall, muscular frame of his lover retreating back to finish up the last few hours of his work day. He glanced at the overflowing pile of reports on his desk and shook his head. At least he'd gotten a small reprieve from the ocean of paperwork he was drowning in right now, and he gave a different sort of sigh as he himself returned to complete his own duties.

The moment Renji saw Byakua packing up for the day, he hastened to follow suit. "See you tomorrow, Taicho," he said briskly as he rushed out the door and raced home. He glanced around and wondered what all he might need, and threw a clean uniform into his duffel bag, along with a toothbrush and his hairbrush, wincing when he realized he hadn't brushed his hair that morning, and that it was going to be a terrible mess of knots. He gave up then on filling the bag, and decided he'd leave any other details for another day. He figured he'd get better at this 'bag packing' business as time went on, and it became evident to him which things he was forgetting.

He tried to appear casual as he made his way over to Shuhei's, but he knew he was probably walking a little quicker than usual. His heart felt as though it was going to burst out of his chest, he was so happy and excited. He reflected on the amazing predicament he found himself in, as he walked. It was still completely new to him, his relationship with Shuhei, but this was a comfort and a joy that he had never thought would be realized. Oh, certainly he had _hoped,_ but the dark haired man's reluctance to admit his feelings had kept Renji himself from doing so for a long time. He supposed that was part of Shuhei's quiet, calm demeanor, that he'd had such self-control over his feelings for so long as to keep them hidden, and he was thankful at that moment for his own strong-headed impulsiveness, and that he'd been brash enough to finally make the first move, even though he had honestly been a little terrified that things would go horribly, horribly wrong.

His own fear hadn't been as paralyzing as Shuhei's, although he realized now in retrospect that Shuu's reasons for keeping silent for so long were completely justified. It was a possibility that Renji could have been entirely disgusted by his friend's advances, and might have withdrawn and distanced himself from the older man. But Renji had run equal risk the night before, perhaps even more so, because of the fact that him trying to put the moves on someone he regarded in such high esteem he did his Senpai, might have been considered the pinnacle of disrespect. He sighed in thankful relief that things had actually gone as seamlessly as they had.

When he arrived, Shuhei had made them some dinner. He was a surprisingly good cook, much to Renji's delight, and they enjoyed a simple meal, making comfortable small-talk and sipping sake together.

"This is nice," Renji commented suddenly.

"What?"

"Just…" Renji gestured vaguely around himself. "_This_. Dinner, sake, chatting. Just spending time with you. I mean, the sex has been _amazing_, don't get me wrong… But this is nice, too."

Shuhei gave a soft smile and nodded his agreement,then relieved Renji of his empty bowl, taking it to the sink. He heard Renji give a mumbled curse behind him, and he turned sharply to see he had let his hair down, and was struggling to run his brush through it. "I was in such a hurry this morning, I didn't comb it out," Renji lamented, wincing as he yanked on the tangles.

Shuhei went to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, drawing one leg up. "Come lay down, I'll help you," Shuhei offered and Renji came to him, handing the brush over and stretching out on his stomach. Shuhei held a section of Renji's hair in his hand and worked gently at the knot there, brushing from the ends and working his way up, section by section.

The younger man sighed peacefully. "That feels really good," he admitted. "Thank you for helping. I don't have patience for things like this."

"That's why we're so good together," Shuhei murmured, focusing on a particularly nasty knot, teasing at the loops and twists with nimble fingers until it fell apart, and he was able to brush through it freely. "We balance one another. Your headstrong fire, against my cool, collected disposition."

"You're a lot hornier than I expected," Renji chuckled, and let out a laughing yelp as Shuhei gave an intentional yank on his hair.

"You're maybe a little less dominant than _I _had expected, from our first encounter," Shuhei confessed, and Renji sighed.

"Yea, I was thinking about that on the way over. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to mislead you, I just… I got tired of waiting, you know? I didn't think you were ever going to take the initiative."

Shuhei nodded. "You're right, I probably wouldn't have. But I'm so glad that you did." Most of the tangles had been worked out by this point, and he ran the brush in long, full strokes from Renji's scalp to the ends of his hair, and Renji moaned pleasurably. "And don't worry, Ren… I'm not too set in anything. We'll work out the details as time goes on, and take it day by day." The look of peace that had settled on Renji's face was delightful, and Shuhei began to hum quietly, some sort of lullaby he had heard once, when he had been a child. It was comforting, even though the words were long since forgotten, and he lay the brush aside, carding his fingers through the full, textured red locks that ran down Renji's back. The gentle rise and fall of his lover's chest gave him a sensation of serenity, and when Renji's lips parted and he gave a soft snore, Shuhei couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He slipped out of his uniform and into his sleeping yukata, switched the light off, and curled up next to the strong and sturdy body that lay, slack and placid now, in his bed. He draped an arm over Renji, and the younger man shifted in his sleep, pressing into Shuhei's smaller frame, a contented sigh spilling from both of them as Shuhei lay in the dark and drew his fingers softly over the tight muscles, memorizing their every rise and dip, every ripple that shuddered under that tanned skin as his companion turned over on his side to face him. They nestled there together in the dark, and Shuhei smiled, whispering, "I'll take a rain check on our _other_ plans, for tonight… You're right, Ren… This is nice."


	3. Chapter 3

**_SUMMARY: Renji Abarai and Shuhei Hisagi are close friends. But is it possible there's more than mere friendship there between them, simmering just beneath the surface? What will come ultimately of the changes happening between them, and what effects will it have on those around them?_**

******_DISCLAIMER: Bleach and all its characters are owned by the talented Tite Kubo. I own only my story, and am merely borrowing them to tell it. I receive no payment for my writing._**

**_ WARNINGS: A fair amount of coarse language, especially after Grimmjow makes his appearance in later chapters, because we all know what a mouth he has on him. This is M/M Romance, and has mature, adult lemon content. Later chapters, there will be a threesome, so that will be M/M/M and I will also list this story with a Voyeurism warning, because there is a known spectator to that scene. Vaguely implied MPreg this chapter. You have been warned._**

**_ A/N: Some Angst, some WAFF, collages of some little 'moments' of them together and with friends, just to sort of cement their relationship together, and because sometimes, I need those precious little moments just as much as they do. Enjoy._**

WWWWWWWWWW

They settled into a comfortable rhythm with one another quickly, which only further confirmed for them both how right everything was between them. During their lunch breaks, Shuhei would usually come over to the Division 6 office. They would share their meal together, which they took turns in preparing, surprising each other with delicious exotic recipes and silly, sweet things like sandwiches cut into the shape of a heart, or vegetables arranged on a bed of rice to resemble a certain obscene piece of anatomy.

Some days, when Byakua planned to stay at his desk and work through lunch instead of returning home, Renji would meet Shuhei halfway, and they would go back to the Division 9 office for a hurried romp together in the storage room, then an even more hurried lunch.

In the evenings, they traded off whose house they stayed at, mainly dependant on who had gotten over to do grocery shopping after work that week, or who had the most laundry built up. Renji, true to his word, kept up on the washing. Shuhei usually made them dinner, and Renji had started to pay attention as he did so, in an attempt to pick up some pointers on his cooking. They talked and laughed and drank into the late hours, and then, most nights, made love until the sun came up. Or, other times, fucked each other until they passed out from exhaustion, curled up in each other's embrace. It was a very comfortable sort of arrangement, and it suited the two of them just fine. They were happy together, and life was good.

One evening, lying together in bed, Renji was reading and Shuhei was playing with his hair, putting it in long thin braids just for fun, and because Renji loved to have his hair played with. "Oh, shit, I just remembered something," Renji announced, closing his magazine. "I talked to Kira today."

The color drained from Shuhei's face. Izuru Kira was their mutual best friend, and had been completely cast aside and forgotten in their torrid, all-consuming obsession with one another. "What did he say?" the dark haired man asked, propping himself up on his elbow, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"He just was complaining that it's been too long since we all got together. So, I invited him over to my place tomorrow night." Renji gave a lopsided smile. "He said he'd bring the sake… I hope that's okay."

"No, no, it's fine," Shuhei assured his lover, chewing on his thumb in thought. "We'll just have to behave ourselves and go back to our own places, so things don't look suspicious."

Renji wrapped his arms around the bare chest of his boyfriend and grinned, pulling him over on top of himself. "It'll be lonely without you here in my bed… I've gotten used to having you next to me," he confessed with a blush.

Shuhei leaned in and kissed him deeply. "I know, Ren, me too. We'll manage, though." He rested his head on the broad chest, and Renji lay his magazine on the nightstand, flicking out the light.

The next day after work, they met at Renji's. Things were a little awkward and tense as they prepared dinner and waited for Kira to show up. Gone was the usual playful banter, and Renji hoped that things perked up once their friend arrived, and the sake started to flow.

A knock at the door caused the two of them to look to one another, eyes wide in apprehension. Shuhei took a deep breath and exhaled, Renji following his example, and nodding as if in agreement to begin what they both knew might be a challenging performance.

"Kira! It's been too long," Shuhei cried with genuine enthusiasm upon seeing his friend, and realized just how secluded he and Renji had become in their routine.

"I know, I was just telling Renji that yesterday," Kira said with a pitiful smile. He was always so sullen, but the three of them seemed to understand each other most of the time, and it never bothered the other two. "How have you been?"

"Good, and you?"

Kira unslung the large satchel from his shoulder, dropping it to the ground with a resounding _thump._ The other two went wide-eyed. "I am _swamped,_" Kira told them, flashing them a pile of forms stacked neatly inside the bag. "Weekend reading. I've been stuck doing all of the paperwork for the whole Third Division. I must be days behind."

Shuhei chuckled. "I feel your pain on that. I'm probably more than a week behind on mine."

Kira's eyes widened. "Oh man, that's right, I forgot… You're the only one leading the Ninth now, huh?"

Shuhei shrugged. "Yeah. It's okay though. If I wasn't screwing around so much, and maybe if I worked through my lunches once in a while, I'd be more caught up." He glanced quickly over at Renji, who pursed his lips in a tight grin, staring hard in warning. Kira missed the look because he was digging still in his bag.

"Gentlemen, I brought the sake," he said, pulling out a massive earthen jug and setting it with weight on the low table in front of the couch.

Renji's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Fucking shit, Kira, you sure as hell did! You didn't have to bring a whole gallon… There's enough there for the whole Gotei Thirteen to get drunk!"

"Not if Shunshui Taicho shows up," Shuhei snorted.

Kira smiled. "Well, it's been a while since we got together. I figured we had some catching up to do, and we _do _have tomorrow off…"

Renji and Shuhei were surprised as the evening progressed, at how much everything felt just like old times between the three of them, except for the occasional veiled comment or inside joke that blew right over Kira's head. They didn't finish the whole bottle, but had put in a valiant effort before Shuhei stood up, stretching. "I think that's it for me, guys… It's been really fun. We seriously need to do this again, soon." He smiled at Renji, showing the sincerity of his words. He really had had a nice time catching up with Kira, and he could see by Renji's nod that he had as well. He embraced Kira, clapping him on the back in camaraderie, and there was an instant of awkward tension between him and Renji before he decided better of it and just waved his farewell to his lover, and headed out the door.

Kira stood, corking the jug. "I should probably get going myself. Thanks for inviting us over, Renji. I really had a nice time."

"Hey, any time, Kira," Renji told his friend with a smile, and watched him stagger slightly as he toted his jug out the front door on his way home.

Renji stretched out on the couch, and tugged his bandana down over his eyes. He didn't want to sleep in his bed tonight; it just felt too weird to him without Shuhei there. He was just starting to doze off when he heard a floorboard creak. He sat up abruptly and was shocked to see Shuhei creeping across the room, a sneaky smile on his face. "Is he gone?"

"You're a jerk for not giving me a goodbye hug," Renji scolded, opening his arms to welcome his lover to join him on the couch. Shuhei happily complied, nestling his hips between Renji's thighs as they kissed heatedly, oblivious to anything but each other.

"Hey, Renji, can you believe I walked off and forgot my… paper… work…"

They both looked up, horrified to see the form of Kira in the doorway, just staring. Neither of them knew what to do, frozen in terror. Kira moved slowly across the room, suddenly seeming to have sobered a bit, and retrieved his satchel from the floor. His eyes narrowed, and he looked back and forth between the two. "Just… Just how drunk _are _you guys?"

Shuhei sat up slowly at last, pressing himself off of Renji and settling on the end of the couch with a sigh. "Not _that_ drunk, Kira..." he admonished.

Kira continued to scrutinize the two of them in silence for a time, waiting for an explanation that no one was willing to offer until finally the tension was too much, and Renji spoke. "Kira, there's something we should probably tell you…"

"I think I saw enough to know," Kira cut him short, looking hurt. "If this is why we haven't been hanging out lately, I wish you'd said something. I can leave earlier to give you two more time alone, if that's what you want. Just don't turn me into a third wheel, okay? I thought we had a pretty nice time tonight." He smirked at their wide-eyed disbelief, and crossed his arms. "Honestly, I'm not surprised."

"You _knew_?" Renji demanded, sitting up and planting his feet on the floor.

"I had my suspicions. We're too close of friends for you two to be able to hide something like this from me for very long."

Renji pursed his lips, staring hard at the floor, and finally bit the bullet, addressing the proverbial 'elephant in the room.' "…Are you freaked out by it?"

"Are you guys just fooling around, or is it serious?" Kira countered the question with one of his own.

They hadn't been expecting that, and stared at one another blankly. Finally, Shuhei smiled softly. "Pretty serious," he admitted.

"Do you love each other?" Kira challenged, searching their faces and, one at a time, they both nodded. "Then no, I'm not freaked out. If you guys were just messing around, then hell yes, _that _would probably freak me right out. But if this is something that grew out of your friendship and turned into something more…" Kira sighed, shaking his head in pity at them. "You two are my best friends. I want you guys to be happy… Just… No details, ok?"

They all broke into relieved laughter, and Renji and Shuhei agreed to his terms. Kira slung his satchel over his shoulder and gave them both a knowing look. "Have a good night, then," he said, and left them alone to their devices.

WWWWWWWWWW

So that was how Kira found out.

Honestly, it made things much easier on them, having him know. They were able to hang out with him again without things getting too awkward. Well, most of the time, anyway. There were still moments, and they came up from time to time, because whenever alcohol is involved, there's always the potential for things to get awkward. But on the whole, having Kira find out as he did was a good thing for all three of them, in the end.

Renji and Shuhei were taking their lunch break one day with Rangiku Matsumoto in the courtyard under the cherry trees, which were in full bloom.

Matsumoto smiled knowingly and nodded toward Renji as she swallowed a bite of her sandwich. "You should be more careful with your curling iron, Renji," she said in a mocking tone.

He started dumbly at her. "What?"

"You neck," she said, nodding again, smirking. "The 'curling iron burn' there on the left side."

He reached his hand up. "I don't use a curling iron," he said, still confused.

Matsumoto sighed in exasperation. "You are so dense sometimes, Renji. I was trying to be delicate. It's a euphemism for a hickey. You have one that's peeking out from under your collar. You should probably cover that before your captain sees it."

His eyes widened and he looked at Shuhei, who just averted his gaze, embarrassed. They _had _been getting a little rowdier than usual, but he thought they'd been careful not to leave any visible marks. Apparently, they'd been mistaken.

"Looks like your girlfriend is a real wildcat," Matsumoto chuckled, taking another bite of her sandwich, oblivious. Shuhei looked to Renji at that comment; his face flushed wildly, fists balled at his sides in silent rage.

When she'd swallowed, she craned her neck to the side. "Uh oh, you too, Shuu?" she teased. Renji looked up and sure enough, there was the slight hint of teeth marks he knew were his own, barely visible along the edge of the collar of Shuhei's shihakusho. "They must be twins!" Matsumoto laughed. "Imagine that, dating twin sisters… That would really be something, for a couple of close friends… like… you…" She trailed off as her eyes were opened by what she saw before her.

Renji was trembling, visibly, in fury. And Shuhei… The quiet, gentle concern in his eyes, and the soft lay of his hand on Renji's thigh… The way that gesture seemed to appease him, if only the slightest bit… The pained look that passed between the two of them…

"Oh, my gosh," Matsumoto whispered, letting her sandwich fall into her lap. "I am so sorry, you two… I… I didn't know."

Shuhei sighed. "It's ok, Matsumoto."

Renji started calming himself, and Shuhei slipped his hand into that of his lover, giving it a squeeze. Matsumoto picked her sandwich back up, and took a bite, looking thoughtfully back and forth between the two of them. "Hey, Shuu?" she asked. He looked up at her, and she hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is he any good?"

Shuhei had never been so thankful for his quick reflexes as in that moment. Renji exploded off the ground, catapulting forward with a guttural war cry of, "I'm going to fucking kill you, Rangiku!" Shuhei tackled Renji, encircling his chest and holding his arms pinned down to his sides and they fell together at Rangiku's knee, thrashing. "Let me go, you bastard!" Renji snarled, struggling against the sinewy embrace.

"Renji, I wasn't talking to you," Matsumoto said with calm contempt. He glared up at her, unbridled violence boiling in his eyes. "Get yourself under control. I just asked a simple question."

Renji pushed Shuhei off and sat up after a minute, still seething, but under his own self-restraint again. Matsumoto chewed her sandwich and looked back and forth between the two of them still, waiting.

"Yes," Shuhei said simply. "He's good."

She smirked, and stopped chewing her sandwich for a moment, then took another bite, and nodded. They ate in silence for a while, Renji and Shuhei exchanging anxious glances all the while, until Shuhei finally asked her, "So?"

"I can see that you two make each other happy," she said, smiling. "That's not easy to find, in life. You both deserve that, so I'm happy for you." They were flabbergasted, and Renji calmed instantly.

"Geez, Rangiku… Thanks," the redhead said sincerely, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Of course." She smiled, and gave them a coy wink. "And besides, you two make a really cute couple," she added, giggling and leaning away from the swat that Renji aimed at her shoulder. "But really, you _should _cover those hickeys. They're tacky."

WWWWWWWWWW

So that was how Matsumoto found out.

…And, everyone else.

The next morning, when Renji showed up at the office, Byakua was staring at him, making him a little uncomfortable. He glanced at the clock, but he was a few minutes early this morning, so he knew it wasn't that, and his uniform was clean, so he wondered if he had food on his face or something. He sat at his desk, nervously trying to focus on his paperwork.

"Stop fidgeting, Abarai," Byakua commanded. "Shudo (*1) was considered a very noble practice in ancient times, by samurai and Lords alike. You're a bit old for a Wakashu (*2), but that becomes your prerogative, after coming of age."

Renji was horrified. He wasn't sure which was worse; that Byakua _knew_, or that he was so matter-of-fact about it? His captain had gone back to his paperwork, seemingly done with saying his piece, and so Renji was left to stew in his own thoughts until lunch time, when he hurriedly excused himself, and rushed off to the Ninth Division office to talk to Shuhei.

"My captain knows!" Renji lamented, bursting through the door on Rukia and Shuhei, who were seated at the desk, chatting. He backpedalled, trying to take back the words before he had to offer an explanation to yet another person.

"Rukia, too," Shuhei said with a shrug. "We should have knows that as soon as Matsumoto found out, it'd be all over Seireitei." He turned back to Rukia and chuckled. "Thankfully, I run the _Seireitei Communication_, so it's not as though she can actually put an article in the paper, announcing it to people…"

Renji fell on the couch, in a daze. "What are we going to do, Shuu?" he wailed, his head falling in his hands. "People are going to talk…"

"Let them," Rukia said, pushing her chair back and smiling at Renji as he turned his despaired face up toward her. "I've known you since we were young, Renji. You're a good person. You two aren't hurting anyone. And you love each other." She looked to Shuhei. "We were just talking about that, and it's evident from the way you act together. Don't worry about anybody else, Renji. Let the talkers talk."

Renji was blown away. "You really mean that, Rukia?"

She shrugged. "Well, sure. Why not?"

He smiled at her, pulling himself back together some. "Thanks, Rukia. That means a lot coming from you."

"Yeah, well, don't get all misty-eyed on me," she said sternly, crossing her arms, but then grinned. "I had better be invited to the wedding, though."

Renji grabbed his head. "Shuu, you gotta stop teasing me about that," he whined.

"I didn't say anything to her, I swear!" Shuhei insisted.

WWWWWWWWWW

Things calmed down, after a while. Some of their more casual friends mostly ignored the fact that they were dating. Most of their closer friends, when visiting with one of them, would ask after the wellbeing of the other one, just out of general courtesy. Matsumoto was a little nosier than most, but they knew she was harmless in that respect, so they sometimes obliged her with more detail than usual, depending on the circumstances.

One day, Renji was out on a mission, and Shuhei was stuck eating lunch alone, so he sought out Matsumoto, who was in the Division 10 break room, napping on the sofa. Shuhei prodded her with his toe. "Oi, Rangiku, wake up."

She peeked up at him, and smiled. "Oh, Shuu, it's you." She yawned and stretched. "How's your boyfriend doing?"

"Fine. He's out on a mission today, so I was bored."

Matsumoto sat up, pouting. "I am not entertainment, Shuuhei Hisagi," she proclaimed, jutting out her bottom lip as she crossed her arms beneath her ample bosom.

"You sure seem to think _we _are sometimes," he countered teasingly, and her jaw dropped in shock.

"How could you say that, Shuu?" she whined, seeming actually hurt by his joke.

"I was just playing, Rangiku, I'm sorry," Shuhei apologized. "You just seem overly curious about our personal life sometimes, you know?"

"What do you mean?"

Shuhei settled down on the opposite end of the couch from her, sitting on the arm of it and resting his feet on the seat. "Well, like last week, when you asked Renji how sensitive my nipples were…"

"You just got them pierced!" she cried in self defense. "That is a legitimate question! Next," she barked, indicating that she intended to take these points of contention on, one by one, and settle the issue once and for all.

Shuhei chuckled. "Okay, how about the other day, when you asked me how often we 'do it'?"

"Regular sex is part of a healthy relationship," she insisted. "I just want to be sure that you two have a healthy relationship together."

Shuhei shook his head, realizing he was not going to win this argument with her easily. "Alright, what about when you asked if we had any weird fetishes?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but then shut it again. Shuhei started to gloat, but she silenced him. "Quiet, I'm thinking," she shushed, and chewed on her thumb, looking distant for a moment. "You might have me there, but you have to admit, you two make a pretty hot item." She grinned, but then her brow furrowed in concern. "Besides, you're not worried that I'm looking for something on the side or anything, are you?"

Shuhei's eyes widened. "No, the thought never crossed my mind, actually, until just now."

Matsumoto's massive chest heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. I don't want you boys getting any strange ideas about me like that… Gin keeps me plenty satisfied, thank you very much." She giggled, and flashed a coy look at Shuhei. "Now, if you want to talk about fetishes…"

"I don't!" Shuhei assured her, laughing as he waved his hands in refusal. "I absolutely do not want to know about what a kinky pervert Gin is. I can imagine, and I don't even want to know."

She pouted playfully, a little put out by that, but then something occurred to her, and she asked, "Shuu, do you like girls?"

"I'm not interested in couple swapping or anything weird like that, Rangiku," Shuhei insisted.

She turned to him earnestly. "No, seriously, Shuu. I'm just asking… Are you into girls? Or just guys?"

Shuhei blinked at her. "Oh, I see what you mean. Umm, well… I find women attractive, yes. I was never attracted to guys before Renji. He's just…" He thought for a moment, and sighed wistfully, smiling. "Renji's different. I don't know how to explain it."

"And Renji… Does he like girls?"

Shuhei nodded. "It's the same with him as for me. We just got really close as friends, and somewhere, things went beyond that for both of us. Neither one of us had been with guys before, but… I just wanted _him_, if that makes sense. It didn't matter what his body was like, that he was a guy, or a girl, or whatever… It was his soul that I fell in love with, and that transcends something as simple as physical forms."

Matsumoto was enrapt. "That is so beautiful, Shuhei," she murmured, breathless, clutching her hand to her chest. "So you're, like, soul mates or something then, huh?"

"I guess you could say that, yeah."

She smiled warmly. "See, that's what I love about you two… That special closeness you have." She sighed. "Sorry if I'm a little nosy into your extracurricular activities sometimes. I don't really mean to be, but I just don't believe it's something to be ashamed of."

"Well, I'm not really _ashamed _of anything, per se," Shuhei said, "It's just kind of… I don't know. Nobody else asks us that kind of stuff."

"Well, I'm a little different like that," she admitted with a grin, and Shuhei chuckled. "Apparently, 'different' is okay with you, am I right?"

He nodded in concession. "Yes, yes, alright, I get you."

"It's sexual expression," she said thoughtfully, and Shuhei perked up, suddenly very interested in what she had to say. "You and Renji are sort of private about that type of thing. I'm not, really. I'm sort of a touchy-feely kind of person, you know? And I don't shy away from those kinds of conversations. Maybe some people don't consider them to be appropriate, but if I ever get specifically inappropriate and cross a boundary for you, please, tell me, okay?" She smiled warmly. "I don't want to make you guys uncomfortable, but it's just how I am."

"I know exactly what you mean there," Shuhei said in complete agreement.

WWWWWWWWWW

"I love it when you're home," Shuhei said, busily brushing Renji's hair as he sat on the floor in front of the couch. Shuhei had his legs drawn up, and was wearing some black leggings and an oversized, grey knit sweater that hung canted to the side, exposing one or the other of his shoulders at all times. On lazy days at home together, this was what he loved to wear. They were his 'comfortable clothes,' the same as Renji's white and pink-floral-print yukata that he wore around when they were alone together.

"What do you mean by 'home'?" Renji asked. "Where is that? Your place, or mine? Because, you know, we kind of switch back and forth."

Shuhei smiled warmly. "Home isn't a place, Ren. It's a feeling. It's not really either place, because it's not so much a building. It's wherever we are together."

Renji tipped his head back and smiled up at Shuhei, who leaned in for a kiss. "It's like your yukata," Shuhei added, pulling the brush through the long, cardinal locks.

"Hey, don't knock my fucking yukata," Renji snapped. "This thing is comfy as hell."

Shuhei laughed, tugging on his hair. "I'm not, _baka. _I'm just saying, it's not women's clothing, because you're wearing it. My outfit isn't specifically 'masculine' or 'feminine,' per se, neither here nor there. Not my place or your place. It's just because they're comfortable. It's the feeling that makes them right for us."

Renji nodded. "I can see what you mean there, I think. So, would it still be 'home' to you if we were living in a cardboard box down in District 80 of Rukongai?"

Shuhei thought for a few moments. "Circumstances would suck, for sure… But yeah, because as long as we were together, it would be 'home' with you. Home could be under a bridge, it wouldn't matter."

"It's love," Renji told him. "Love is what you're talking about, not 'home.'"

"Isn't it kind of the same thing?"

Renji nodded. "I guess, yeah. Cuz even in a nice house, if we didn't have our love, it wouldn't be the same. But with the love, it doesn't matter where we are."

Shuhei smiled, and continued brushing. "Ren?"

"Hn?"

"Did you ever want kids?"

Renji chuckled. "I dunno. I never thought about it. I don't think I have the patience to be a parent. Why," he asked, looking up at Shuhei. "Did you? I mean, _do _you?"

Shuhei smiled. "I don't know. Maybe. I think you'd be a good father."

Renji straightened his head back out so Shuhei could continue the brushing. His hair was long since free of tangles, he just enjoyed the feeling of it. "Hn. I think I'd be an asshole dad, who'd beat a kid to death."

Shuhei gave him a thump in the back of his head. "I'm being serious, _baka,_" he said in a petulant tone, tugging on his hair softly. "I think you'd make a good father."

"You'd be a better one," Renji insisted. "You're more patient than I am…. Shit, what would our kids look like?" Renji asked, laughing. "My build with your hair, he'd look like Ishhin Kurosaki. Your build with my hair…"

"That would be beautiful, in a daughter," Shuhei said. "You'd have to learn how to braid hair."

Renji snorted. "Did you not just hear me say that you have more patience than me?"

Shuhei chuckled. "I know." He was quiet for a while, and all that could be heard was the quiet _whoosh, whoosh _of the hairbrush as it carded through Renji's hair.

"You know, you always tease me about getting married," Renji said. "Are you serious about that?"

"Why, are you?" Shuhei asked, surprised. This was usually a topic Renji avoided like the plague. Shuhei loved to tease him, but this was a subject he never harped on too heavily, because his lover always seemed to panic at the mention of it.

Renji shrugged. "Maybe, some day. I don't know. I mean, are _you _serious about it?"

Shuhei had to admit, he'd never really given too much thought to it seriously before. "Well?" Renji asked, and Shuhei shushed him.

"I'm thinking," he said as he brushed the vermillion cascade running down Renji's back.

_Whoosh. Whoosh._

"We don't have to," Shuhei finally said. "Not if you don't want to."

"That's not what I asked, _baka,_" Renji said, looking up at him. "I asked if you were serious about it."

Shuhei smiled at the distinction. Even though Renji could be dense at times, he had plenty of moments like this, where he was deep and thoughtful. "Maybe," he said. "I could do this for the rest of my life. Just be with you."

Renji reached his hand up and took Shuhei's, tangling their fingers together. "I love it when I'm home, too," he agreed, giving a gentle squeeze.

WWWWWWWWWW

(*1) (*2)Shudo/Wakashudo- Known also as "the way of the youth." Definition of "Shudo" from Wikipedia: "same-sex love spread to the warrior (samurai) class, where it was customary for a boy in the _wakashū_ age category to undergo training in the martial arts by apprenticing to a more experienced adult man. The man was permitted, if the boy agreed, to take the boy as his lover until he came of age; this relationship, often formalized in a "brotherhood contract", was expected to be exclusive, with both partners swearing to take no other (male) lovers. This practice, along with clerical pederasty, developed into the codified system of age-structured homosexuality known as _shudō_, abbreviated from _wakashūdo_, the "way (_do_) of_wakashū_".The older partner, in the role of _nenja_, would teach the _wakashū _martial skills, warrior etiquette, and the samurai code of honor, while his desire to be a good role model for his _wakashū_ would lead him to behave more honorably himself; thus a _shudō_ relationship was considered to have a "mutually ennobling effect".In addition, both parties were expected to be loyal unto death, and to assist the other both in feudal duties and in honor-driven obligations such as duels and vendettas. Although sex between the couple was expected to end when the boy came of age, the relationship would, ideally, develop into a lifelong bond of friendship. At the same time, sexual activity with women was not barred (for either party), and once the boy came of age, both were free to seek other _wakashū_ lovers."

**_A/N: OMG, I can't believe I wrote this all in one day. I'm sick. I have to take a break, seriously. These two are cooking my brains, in addition to any fever I may or may not have. But I can't get enough. Next chapter is already started, no promises on when I'll update, but if it's anything like it's been, it won't be long._**


	4. Chapter 4: I'm With the Band

**_ DISCLAIMER: Bleach and all its characters are owned by the talented Tite Kubo. I own only my story, and am merely borrowing them to tell it. I receive no payment for my writing._**

**_ WARNINGS: A fair amount of coarse language, especially after Grimmjow makes his appearance, because we all know what a mouth he has on him. This story is M/M Romance, and has mature, adult lemon content (though none in this chapter, except a brief mention in passing which includes some BDSM). Later chapters, there will be a threesome, so that will be M/M/M and I will also list this story with a Voyeurism warning, because there is a known spectator to that scene. Chapter 6 will have Het (M/F) lemon, so sorry for any hardcore M/M fans out there, if that puts you off. You have been warned._**

**_ A/N: Back to the main story arc! Yay! That last chapter felt a little like a filler episode, sorry about that, but I needed to really cement their relationship, because the apple cart is going to get rocked soon._**

**_ I gave Shuhei a base instead of a guitar, it will become clear later as to why. I think that's all for now._**

WWWWWWWWWW

Renji and Shuhei were lazing around on a fine spring day, sitting on the front porch outside of Shuhei's room. Renji was seated on the ground with his back against the wall, dozing in the warm breeze that blew the petals of the sakura across the porch. Shuhei's head was rested in his lap, and he strummed lightly on his base guitar as he worked out a new song, leaning over to scribble down some notes now and again.

He was disappointed that his recent article, "Please Teach Me! Shuhei Sensei!" that ran in the _Seireitei Communication, _had been so poorly received that he had discontinued the column within three issues. He thought it would have been fun to have a band, and was hoping to find a guitar player through the column, but nothing had ever come of it. Renji was pretty good on the drums, but a base player and a drummer didn't amount to much of a band.

A shadow fell across them, and both men glanced up to see the always-austere face of the Sixth Division Captain, Renji's directly superior officer, Byakua Kuchiki. He stared down at them, his face soft but expressionless. Most of their friends, including the captains and their lieutenants, knew by now about their relationship, so the intimacy of their position was not much surprise to the captain. That was not to say that he approved of their indiscreet public displays of affection like this, but as long as they didn't get _too_ indecent with their closeness, he was tolerant of his lieutenant and his lover's open familiarity with one another.

"Oi, Taicho," Renji said with surprise, feeling a little nervous, not sure if he should stand. He was technically on leisure time at the moment, so he wasn't required to, but there was always something about his captain's presence, and the fact that he was from one of the Noble Houses, that made Renji feel a little more formal than he did around the other captains.

"Abarai, Central 46 wishes for us to send a team to check in on the resurrected Espada under Urahara's watch, in Karakura Town. I have elected you, and Lieutenant Hisagi. They suggested sending a lower level Shinigami, but I pointed out to them that, in the event that something has gone amiss with the Espada, it should be someone battle-seasoned, and able to handle the situation until reinforcements can arrive. You will leave in the morning."

"_Hai, Taicho_," Renji replied, and nodded as the captain turned and strolled away.

Shuhei grinned up at the redhead. "Hey, that sounds fun! Do you have anywhere you want to stop while we're there?"

Renji shrugged. "Nah. Maybe just visit Kurosaki and the others… You know," he said suggestively, reminding Shuhei that none of their friends in the World of the Living knew yet that the two of them were together.

The dark-haired man smiled. "Inoue will be happy for us."

Renji chuckled. "Inoue is happy for everyone, about everything… That's why she's perfect for Ulquiorra."

Shuhei nodded in agreement. The Ex-Cuatra Espada, Ulquiorra Cifer, was one of the beings currently under close supervision from Seireitei, along with the Ex-Tres, Tia Hallibel, and the Ex-Sexta, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Ulquiorra was the first resurrected, accidentally, by Orihime Inoue's unusual ability to 'reject fate.' After that, the exiled former captain of the Twelfth Division, Kisuke Urahara, had brought back Grimmjow, Hallibel, and finally Gin Ichimaru, who had previously been captain of the Third Division, with Kira as his Lieutenant.

An investigation had been ordered, looking into the events at the Urahara Shoten, and what level of threat that the resurrected beings potentially posed to the greater good of Soul Society. It had ultimately been determined that the Ex-Espada, who seemed not to have carried forth any of their Reiatsu abilities into their Gigai, were of little threat, but would be monitored closely as they continued to live out a semblance of a normal life in the World of the Living.

Gin, however, was brought back to Soul Society, and tried before Central 46. He was found guilty of treason, but pardoned by way of insanity, because of his eventual treason to even Aizen, proving his ultimate loyalty to only Rangiku Matsumoto. His sentence, because of his genius intellect, was to be stripped of his previous seat as captain, and remain in Soul Society, where he could be directly monitored at all times. He was currently working as a high-level assistant in the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, under the direct supervision of the current Twelfth Division captain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. The two brilliant men often rubbed each other the wrong way, working in such close quarters, but even though Mayuri complained nearly constantly of the inconvenience of being stuck as Gin's 'babysitter,' everyone could tell that they both benefitted hugely from the mutual intellectual stimulation.

Some people argued that putting a genius like Gin in a place like the S.R.D.I. was dangerous, and no one argued the possibility that it _could_ be. But it was the undeniable wisdom of the Eighth Division captain, Shunsui Kyoraku, which sealed Gin's fate, when he pointed out that rotting in a place like the Maggot's Nest was probably only going to prompt the brilliant man to boredom, which would _surely_ be a recipe for disaster. It was decided that repayment of his debts to Soul Society would be better served by his cooperation and putting his sharp mind to work, instead of him languishing in a cell somewhere, with too much idle time on his hands to plot and scheme. Keeping his mind busy seemed the safest alternative, and on Gin's part, he seemed happy to oblige, though no one _really_ knew what the fox-faced fellow was ever thinking, unless it was perhaps Matsumoto.

She was probably the happiest of all with his sentence, because it left him available to spend rather a lot time with her, whereas placement in the World of the Living with the Ex-Espada under the watch of Urahara would have been a hindrance to that. Shuhei smiled thinking of the two of them.

Gin had come and made a personal apology to Shuhei upon his return to Soul Society, as he had to most of the captains and lieutenants who had felt most betrayed when he had defected with Aizen and Tozen to Hueco Mundo. Once everyone had heard his story, most had been able to look past his actions and realize that his betrayal was only a charade, in order to get close to Aizen, and know how best to exact his revenge for hurting Matsumoto in the past, when they had been only children. It was not the best of methods, but the intention was noble, and Shuhei had forgiven him to the best of his ability, although he knew that Gin Ichimaru was the sort of person that he would probably never be able to trust completely.

The next morning, the two of them went together over to the Senkaimon gate, and passed through, coming out above the Urahara Shoten.

"Byakua Taicho said that Urahara would have the addresses for the Espada," Renji said as they landed lightly in the yard. He had a clipboard in his hand, with reports on it which would need to be filled out and returned to Central 46, so that they could make yet another of their ongoing decisions as to whether or not the resurrected Arrancar were a threat. Gin was required to appear before them personally for evaluation as he was located in Soul Society, but some of the ex-Espada were employed. In the pursuance of them maintaining their façade of normalcy with the greatest of ease, it had been determined that they would be interviewed in the World of the Living.

Also, Renji knew, they had been placed in experimental gigai which were considered "sticky," which is to say, they were not able to leave them without special assistance from the shop keeper. It was simply one of the added layers of protection that Central 46 had built into this highly experimental situation. Just because none of the ex-Espada had evinced any reiatsu-oriented abilities or powers yet, didn't mean it couldn't still happen. There was no precedent for this, so none of them, not even Urahara himself, was entirely sure what to expect as time went on.

Renji and Shuhei made their way up the wooden steps and across the porch of the Shoten, and let themselves inside. "Oi, Urahara-san!" Shuhei called, glancing around the dusty shelves of the shop.

Jinta came out of the back of the shop, his hand on his hip. He glared at Renji. "Hey, freeloader," he taunted with a smirk. "What do you want?"

Renji was abashed, and Shuhei stepped forward with a kind smile, leaning forward to bring himself down to the child's level, hands braced against his knees. "Hey there, young man… Is the shop keeper in?"

Jinta rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Don't patronize me." He turned and headed into the back of the store, leaving both of the lieutenants equally taken aback by the abrasive manner of the boy. "Well, are you coming or what?" Jinta snapped.

The two Shinigami looked at one another. "He's a real jerk," Renji assured his lover quietly, who nodded in agreement as they followed into the depths of the shoten.

"Oi, Urahara-san… You have more company," the red-haired child barked, jerking a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the two men coming behind him, then wandered past them back toward the front of the store, sticking his tongue out and chuckling as he went. Shuhei shook his head incredulously.

"Oh, welcome, you two!" Kisuke lilted in a chipper tone, hiding behind his ever-present white fan. "Might I offer you some tea?"

"Thank you, but we're here on business," Renji assured him, eyes falling to the first portion of the 'more' company Jinta had mentioned. Sitting beside the shop keeper were Orihime Inoue and Ulquiorra Cifer. "What luck, you've saved us some extra work today," Renji said with a smile, nodding to Ulquiorra.

Shuhei gently elbowed Renji, and sat down, accepting a cup of tea. "We're not here _entirely _on business, Ren," he said suggestively, and his boyfriend sat beside him. "We can spare time for a cup of tea and chat a few minutes."

"It's good to see you guys, Renji, Shuhei," Orihime said brightly. "What brings you here today?"

"Well, Central 46 has some reports we have to file on the ex-Espada. We came to Urahara to get the addresses, but it seems you two have saved us one of the trips," Renji said, graciously accepting a cup of tea for himself and sipping on it.

"And, also…" Shuhei grinned coyly at Renji, who flushed a bit, and twined his fingers in Shuhei's as the more slender man reached for them. "We wanted to let everybody know we're together."

Orihime clasped her hands together in delight. "Oh, that's great you two! I'm so happy for you!"

Shuhei smirked at Renji, whispering, "I told you so."

Renji rolled his eyes, chuckling. "I never argued the point with you…"

Ulquiorra had been watching all this with quiet disinterest until Renji turned to him directly, glancing over the clipboard which he held in his hand, and tapping at the attached papers with an ink pen. "Now, Ulquiorra…" He paused, unsure suddenly. "Can I call you Ulquiorra? Or is there something else you'd…"

"Ulquiorra is fine," the ex-Espada interrupted dryly with a sigh of exasperation. He'd been warned that there might be some regular monitoring from Central 46 to determine if there was any developing threat from them, but he was annoyed with the interference nevertheless. He was a private sort of person, and didn't like the idea of someone taking notes on him, but he knew that Central 46 considered it to be necessary.

Renji could sense the vexation in Ulquiorra's tone, and he hastened through the list of questions. They were mostly generalized inquiries about physical and mental health, and any specialized abilities that had been noted. Renji was fairly sure he remembered taking an interview similar to this when he had originally entered the Shinigami Academy, and assumed that this was simply a slightly modified version of the standardized intake form.

Ulquiorra's replies were curt but straightforward, and it didn't take long before they had concluded. The two Shinigami remained for a while at the Shoten, just visiting with Orihime and Urahara, whom they hadn't had the opportunity to catch up with since the end of the Winter War. Ulquiorra seemed satisfied to drink tea in silence, and not be pestered further for answers to their survey questions.

After nearly an hour had passed, Renji stretched. "It's been nice you guys, but we're still technically on duty. Urahara-san, can we get the addresses of the other two ex-Espada from you, so we can go check in on them?"

"Address, singular," Urahara corrected as he held up one finger, reaching for the clipboard and the pen, then scribbled down the directions on how to get to Hallibel and Grimmjow's house. "Hallibel-san is probably still at work, but Grimmjow will be home. He helps out sometimes around the shop, but he's fairly unemployable still. He's not the most social of the bunch," Kisuke chuckled wryly, passing the information back to Renji.

Shuhei mused to himself that technically, _none _of the resurrected beings were particularly well-suited for social environments, but elected to keep that observation to himself, seeing as how one of them was sitting directly across the table from him.

They made their polite farewells and took their leave, following the directions Kisuke had laid out for them, as well as a crudely scribbled map, on a blank sheet of paper. It wasn't a very long walk, and they strolled along in the late spring sunshine, coming up to a modern subdivision with houses lined up all in neat little rows, and garages beside them. From somewhere nearby, they could hear the strains of somebody practicing an electric guitar. "Not half bad," Shuhei commented absently, nodding in approval of the relative skill of the unseen musician.

As they approached the address, Shuhei froze in his tracks, clutching at the sleeve of Renji's shihakusho. Renji followed his wide-eyed, slack-jawed stare, and saw that the address in question was also the same location as the source of the music. The garage door was open to the pleasant weather, and kicked back on a futon couch, strumming an electric guitar, was Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. His foot tapped a distortion pedal on the ground from time to time, changing the tone of the music winding its way through the cables of the equipment to broadcast out the small amplifier sitting nearby.

"He plays guitar," Shuhei said breathlessly, eyes glossing over, fingers tightening in Renji's sleeve as elation crept into his voice. "He plays the _guitar_ Renji, do you know what this _means_?"

Renji nodded, and pulled Shuhei along. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking, but remember, Urahara-san said he's pretty antisocial. Don't get your hopes up too high."

As they crossed the street, the blue-haired man glanced up at them and jerked his head in acknowledgement, standing up to put the guitar in a stand and switching the amplifier off. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he waited for them to near. "Urahara called ahead and warned me you were coming," Grimmjow said with a leer, extending his hand. "Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, nice to meet you."

"Abarai Renji, Fukutaicho, Sixth Division," Renji offered, shocked at the firmness of the man's shake. Something about him seemed honest, Renji decided, even if he did come off as a bit arrogant and smug.

"Hisagi Shuhei, Fukutaicho Division Nine," the dark-haired man gushed, trying to hold back his elation and doing a terrible job of it. "I see you play the guitar…"

"Huh?" Grimmjow was puzzled by the observation, but grinned and shrugged, glancing over at the instrument. "Yeah, you could say that. It's not the most useful skill, but the music helps with my anger management, which I guess is ultimately the biggest problem I have." He motioned to a ragged love seat sitting roughly at a right-angle to the futon couch, and invited the two to sit as he made himself comfortable again on the futon. "You guys want some water, or a beer or anything?"

The two Shinigami eyed each other in shock. "Uh, no, thank you," Renji said. "We're on duty, we really shouldn't be drinking. We had some questions we needed to go over with you, if you don't mind…"

Grimmjow frowned, and folded his arms behind his head, leaning back. "Yeah, Urahara said that. Go ahead, ask away I guess." He shut his eyes and shifted around to get comfortable. Renji and Shuhei glanced at one another, put off by his overly-relaxed and unprofessional demeanor. Grimmjow cracked an eye at them. "Well? I just have to answer some questions, right? Some rule on that clipboard of yours that says I can't be comfortable while I do that?"

Renji started in on the list, making notes as they went along. Shuhei watched with interest. The Ex-Espada was abrasive, to put it mildly, but he was also talented. Maybe he could be easier to get along with in a less professional setting…

As they were working on the list, Hallibel rode up on a bicycle, clearly done with her day's work at the dojo, where she taught a number of martial arts classes. She stepped over the center of the frame and balanced standing with both legs on the same side and she rolled to a stop in the driveway, stepping off at last and narrowing her eyes at the two Shinigami seated in her garage. Grimmjow heard the slight squeal of her brakes as she pulled up, and sat up, smiling at her. "Oi, Tia… These guys are here to interview us. Urahara sent them."

She watched them warily as she wheeled her bike into the garage, hoisting it up over her head and hanging it on hooks mounted on the ceiling. Without a word, she stood, arms crossed, observing them in a way that made them feel very uneasy. Grimmjow reached for her wrist, yanking on it, trying to pull her toward the futon. "C'mon, babe, they don't bite. You knew this was going to happen, Urahara told us."

She jerked her wrist out of his grasp, and set her jaw. "What does Soul Society want with us?"

Renji was speechless, for once, and Shuhei fumbled to supply an explanation. "They just want to be sure you're not a threat, ma'am," he offered. "You were all recently enemies of the Gotei Thirteen, and Central 46 just wants to be sure you're not dangerous, or have any unusual abilities developing or anything."

Grimmjow and Hallibel exchanged a meaningful look that made the two soul reapers wonder if there was some kind of secret there, or if she was just being antisocial and he was trying to placate her into cooperating. She pressed her lips tightly into a thin line, and went over to the futon, sitting between Grimmjow and the Shinigami. The blue-haired man reached into a small refrigerator at the end of the futon which seemed to double as either a bottle collection or an end table, and drew out two cold beers. He popped the cap on them both with his teeth and handed one to Hallibel. She took it and gave him a scathing glare. "I told you not to do that anymore, _baka_," she hissed, and flicked him on the nose. "There's a bottle opener around here somewhere, _use it_. You're going to break a tooth or cut your damn lip again."

Grimmjow just smirked and took a long pull off his beer, staring defiantly at her as she pinned him under her green glare. "Maybe you'll have to punish me later for it," he taunted.

Hallibel snickered at this, and her gaze turned fluidly from haughty to hungry in an instant. She hummed approvingly at him, giving him a once over, seeming to undress him with her eyes, making the soul reapers just a little uncomfortable at their openly feral sexuality. Hallibel reached out and stroked his cheek, then deftly popped him on the back of the head in warning, causing his beer to slosh. "Hey, that's alcohol abuse!" Grimmjow protested loudly, shaking the wetness off his hand and attempting to brush it off his shirt.

Hallibel pointed a stern and ominous finger at him in warning, then turned pleasantly to the Shinigami, taking a swallow of beer. "Alright, I'll cooperate. Let me see the form."

Renji wasn't expecting her to want to fill it out herself, but he was a little intimidated by the demanding hand that reached for the clipboard, so passed it to her. Hallibel took the pen and began to fill in the fields, ignoring everyone.

Grimmjow carefully found room somehow for his beer among the empty bottles on top of the mini-fridge, and reached again for his guitar. Flicking the amp back on, be began to strum lightly; a beautiful but haunting melody that prickled Shuhei's skin and made the hairs on the back of Renji's neck stand on end. Hallibel began to smile, and hummed slightly along with it as she filled out the questionnaire. Suddenly, she looked up at Grimmjow. "They ask on here about employment, Grimm. What did you tell them?"

He continued to stare at his guitar, playing the strange song. "I told them the truth, that I sometimes work at the Shoten for Urahara."

Hallibel snorted in distain. "That hardly counts. That's maybe twice a month, for a couple of hours." She tapped the pen on the form. "Ulquiorra works for him every day, for most of the day. Yours is practically considered volunteering."

The icy blue eyes of the former Sexta snapped up at this. "He pays me, Tia," he growled in a measured tone. "It's not volunteering."

"I'm just saying, when are you going to do something more regularly?" she insisted. "I pay the rent and buy the groceries. It would be nice to have a more equal contribution. Whatever happened to those guys you were going to play gigs with?"

Grimmjow's lips pressed into a thin line of irritation, and he set the guitar in the stand, flicking the amp back off. "Tia, you know how musicians are. Those guys are flaky as hell. Could we please not have this fight again, much less in front of company?" He snatched up his beer irritably, and stormed inside the house, slamming the door behind him, causing the empty bottles to tinkle against one another.

Hallibel looked after him, her mouth screwed up in irritation as she shook her head. "I wish there was something I could do to help him," she muttered to no one in particular.

She turned back to the Shinigami, and saw Shuhei's eyes sparkling. "Well, there just might be something we could do about that," Shuhei said, barely able to contain the excitement in his tone as Hallibel cocked a curious eyebrow.

WWWWWWWWWW

The arrangements were almost more complicated than it was worth.

Shuhei had to convince Central 46 through a long back-and-forth process of written appeals and denials, that Grimmjow was basically unemployable in a traditional job due to his antisocial behavior, and that being in a band would be an invaluable part of his rehabilitation. Shuhei won at long last, based on the points that Grimmjow would finally be gainfully employed, which Central 46 agreed to be an important step toward normalization for the Ex-Espada, and also that during the employment of this particularly volatile Arrancar, two highly competent Shinigami lieutenants would be directly on hand to supervise him.

Renji's captain was obviously less than pleased about all the absences he was about to be excusing his lieutenant for, but Byakua Kuchiki was always a stickler for the letter of the law, so if Central 46 had approved it, he'd just grit his teeth and bear it, no matter how irregular this all was.

"I _do _still expect you to keep up on your paperwork, Fukutaicho Abarai," Byakua warned sternly.

"_Hai, Taicho,_" Renji assured him, trying- and failing miserably- to hide his ecstatic grin. The lieutenant had always excelled at paperwork, and he knew it would be no challenge to catch up on the days he wasn't taking off early to practice with Shuu and Grimm, and, eventually, to be playing bookings at local clubs in Karakura.

Renji was excited; much more so than he'd expected, now that it was actually happening. The band idea had always been Shuu's brainchild, but Renji had to admit, now that the wheels were greased and the whole thing was in motion, it sounded like a lot of fun.

Of course, Shuhei was thrilled. And when Shuu was fired up about something, things got really nice for Renji in the bedroom. Renji smirked and gave a little shiver at the added bonus of it all. Usually he was the more naturally dominant of the two of them, although they did their fair share of switching things up. But with all the added nervous and charged tension coursing through Shuhei in anticipation of all the pieces of this band thing falling perfectly into place, it easily translated into a sexual stimulation that made him very nearly insatiable. Renji rubbed absently at a light bruise on his wrist, reminding himself that he shouldn't fight so hard tonight against the restraints.

Working with Grimmjow turned out to be not as bad as they'd worried. His pensive irritability seemed to be easily quelled by a commanding glare or a firm touch on the shoulder when Hallibel was near, which she made obvious effort to be. Renji and Shuhei found that by handing most of the creative control over to Grimmjow, and making this 'his' band, it immediately reduced the majority of the friction, and made Grimmjow much more pleasant to deal with.

One evening during practice, Grimmjow ran inside to use the restroom, and Hallibel took the opportunity to speak to the Shinigami in confidence. "You know, I have to thank you two." They looked up, shocked to hear her say something like that. Hallibel was always distant and aloof, mainly present during their practices as Grimmjow's 'handler,' and this was a new level of intimacy from her. She looked out the open garage door into the gloaming of the early summer heat, averting her gaze as she dropped her guard momentarily to speak to them in a heartfelt manner. "He's never been so happy before. He's more focused overall, and he's always excited about new songs he's found to share with you guys, or following up on a lead for an engagement to play… He's really engrossed with life, for the first time since we came back, and it has nothing to do with fighting. I never through I'd see anything but the pensive, brooding Grimmjow again." She glanced at them, a sincerity in her mossy green eyes that was almost painful. "Thanks."

Renji was awkwardly embarrassed by her confession, but Shuhei smiled warmly. "I'm glad we could help you guys."

She looked down at the floor and nudged a bare toe against the tassels on the edge of the rug but looked up sharply as the door opened, and Grimmjow skipped down the steps lightly. "Did you wash your hands?" she demanded. He gave an exasperated sigh, and rolled his eyes. "You pig! That's like rubbing your cock all over everything in the garage!"

Grimmjow cackled maniacally at the mental image that produced, and turned around to run back inside. He glanced back over his shoulder and gave her a devilish smirk. "Hey, fuck you, Hallibel."

A deep warning growl thrummed in her chest, but she was grinning after him, even after he was out of sight. "We've got an interesting relationship, no doubt about that," she assured the flabbergasted Soul Reapers. "But I love him dearly, and it does me good to see the spark come back into his eyes. He's needed a creative outlet like this for a long while, and I can't thank you enough for bringing him back to me in that respect." Grimmjow returned and came up behind Hallibel, pressing his dripping wet, freezing cold hands against her bare neck. Her startled shriek became an indignant roar, and with a battle cry of, "You asshole!" she spun on him, tackling him to the concrete floor.

WWWWWWWWWW

They kept practicing, playing any gig that Grimmjow could find them, from birthday parties to bars, and even a few open mic nights, just to get their name out there. After little deliberation, they settled on calling themselves "Desgarron," meaning "Laceration" in Spanish, or "Panther King's Claws" in Japanese, depending on your preference. It seemed to be some kind of inside joke between Grimmjow and Hallibel that Renji and Shuhei never quite got, but Grimmjow insisted the name sounded "badass and metal as fuck," so everyone was satisfied with it.

They got good. Really, really good. And popular. Hardly a weekend went by that they weren't booked solid, sometimes for repeat engagements, and they were always approached after the show by someone new, wanting contact information. Hallibel gained a reputation as their unofficial manager, and began to handle their booking and the finer details of it all, because she was more inclined toward that side of things, leaving Grimmjow free to just have fun, be creative, and do what he did best; play music.

He was phenomenal; no one could deny it, even Renji and Shuhei. His stage presence was commanding; raw, powerful, animalistic, and he seemed to feed off the energy of the crowd like a vampire sucking blood from a willing victim. The more riled up they became, the more he gave them in return, and their reputation began to precede them, their demand exploding. With all the money they made from the shows they played, Hallibel bought them a van to haul their equipment, because they'd begun to play gigs occasionally out of town, and transportation was becoming an issue.

Renji and Shuhei began coming over after shows to celebrate, and sometimes spending the night on weekends when they were double or triple booked. They all became rather close-knit, like some highly dysfunctional yet very loving sort of family.

Life was good. They were making tons of money, and living the dream… But unfortunately, real life has a way of intruding on our fantasies; somehow, it always seems like it's just when we are flying at our highest, that disaster is lurking right around the bend…

WWWWWWWWWW

**_A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, everyone… Don't kill me too bad; Next update is the threesome, so I had to break here. See you soon!_**


	5. Chapter 5: Desgarron

**_Summary: The Alternative Metal cover band Desgarron (comprised of lead guitarist/singer Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, base player/singer Shuhei Hisagi, and drummer Renji Abarai), has just finished playing another great show in another small club. Returning to Grimmjow's place to celebrate, the guys are living the dream… That is, until band politics and jealousy issues begin to rear their ugly head. Luckily, Hallibel has an idea to help smooth over the tension between the bandmates. M/M/M Lemon._**

**_DISCLAIMER: Bleach and all its characters are owned by the talented Tite Kubo. I own only my story, and am merely borrowing them to tell it. I receive no payment for my writing._**

**_A/N: Desgarron is Spanish for "Laceration," Japanese for "Panther King's Claw." It was the name of the attack which Grimmjow told Ichigo was his most powerful technique. When I decided in Urahara's Arrancar Rehabilitation Center that Grimmjow would be playing the guitar, the idea of him starting a metal cover band came up, and I discussed with my husband what a good name would be for the band. He thought "Pantera" would be good, since that was Grimmjow's Resurreccion, but for legal reasons, I thought it was questionable to borrow the name of a pre-existing, fairly famous band, as the name of a fanfic cover band, who would not be playing Pantera songs. And besides, I thought "Laceration" was an amazing name for an alternative rock cover band headed by Grimmjow._**

**_This is unofficially a sort of songfic, though FanFiction does not allow posting of songfics, so that makes this officially NOT a songfic… HOWEVER… The songs from Desgarron's playlist at this show are on the playlist I listened to while writing, so they heavily flavored the story. If you are very interested in the songs on their playlist, PM me, and I can send it to you._**

**_ WARNINGS: Coarse Language. This is M/M/M Lemon! Which means this will have explicit scenes, between males! Three of them! Don't like, don't read- nobody is forcing you. Consider yourself warned, you come past this point of your own volition. Also, negotiably could be considered borderline dub-con._**

WWWWWWWWWW

The final fading chords of their ending song hung on the air as Grimmjow and Shuhei pulled the cables on their guitars, and waved to the screaming crowd, retreating off the stage. Renji pitched his drumsticks into the audience and ran after them, laughing.

"Renji, you've got to stop doing that," Shuhei scolded the red-haired drummer, grabbing a towel and a water bottle from the stool he had placed them on before the show. "That's getting expensive."

"Aww, c'mon, Shuu," Renji teased, grabbing the smaller man around the waist and yanking him back against his chest, nibbling teasingly at his neck.

"F… fuck, Renji!" Shuhei hissed, glancing over Grimmjow, eyes wide in abject horror. Grimmjow only leered amusedly, which earned him an unexpectedly cold glare from Renji. "Not in front of everybody," Shuhei chided quietly, pushing Renji off of him and walking toward his gear to stow his base guitar.

Renji straightened and leveled an icy gaze into the blue eyes of the lead singer behind Shuhei's turned back. Grimmjow scoffed, taken aback. "What the fuck is _that_ for?"

The drummer glanced quickly at the crouching form of his boyfriend, the base guitarist, and then back at Grimmjow. "Nothing," he spat rudely, and set about dragging the cart with his drum cases on it, to the stage.

Grimmjow ran his fingers through his electric blue hair, and shook his head in confusion. Shuhei came up behind him and watched Renji breaking down his drum kit with more vigor and slamming than was really necessary. "What the fuck is wrong with him?" Grimmjow asked the slender, dark-haired base player at his side.

Shuhei sighed. "Who knows, Grimm. He gets pissy like this sometimes, and it's been more than usual lately. I'd like to figure out why. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything about the drumsticks, or maybe I just should have let him screw me right in the wings here off-stage." He crossed his arms pensively and watched Renji banging his drums into their cases.

Grimmjow was flabbergasted at these uncharacteristically coarse words from Shuhei, and gaped at him. "Wait… What?"

The tattooed man at his side glanced at him briefly. "You saw the way he grabbed me just a second ago, pulling me against him like that?" Shuhei sighed. "He was hard as a rock. I guess he's a little worked up for some reason, and needs to blow off some sexual frustration."

Grimmjow was somber. "Shit… Are you guys still coming over after we get packed up?"

Shuhei shrugged. "I don't know. I'll go talk to him, just wait over here."

Grimmjow cringed as he saw the scathing look that Renji was giving him, which shifted to fall squarely on Shuhei as the drummer watched his boyfriend cross the stage. They had a quiet, but heated discussion, Renji gesturing animatedly in anger, tossing caustic glances Grimmjow's way occasionally. Shuhei was getting defensive in response to Renji's attacks, Grimmjow could see that much, but he tried to busy himself with winding up power cords instead of trying to eavesdrop on his band-mates' conversation.

"We'll be over," Shuhei said with an exasperated sigh, coming up from behind as Grimmjow turned to face the man. "He doesn't want to go, but we need to hash this out."

Grimmjow was confused. "Hash _what_ out?"

The dark-haired man busied himself with winding cables, waving dismissively at the guitar player. "We'll talk about it later, at the house. I don't want to get into it right now."

Grimmjow's stomach churned. _Shit, that sounds serious…_ He wondered what in the world could be such a big deal. He hadn't been holding out on them, and had evenly split every payment they had ever received for the gigs they played at the local clubs, so he knew that wouldn't be it. _What could have Renji so bent out of shape?_

They loaded the van up with the equipment, and Grimmjow climbed into the driver's seat. Renji flopped overdramatically into the passenger's seat, and yanked his seatbelt on, glaring out the side window, refusing to make eye contact with Grimmjow. Shuhei climbed in the back and they got on their way across town, to the small rental house where Hallibel and Grimmjow lived, and where the band stored their equipment and did their practices.

Grimmjow silently backed the van into the driveway, and they unloaded the instruments into the garage. Hallibel was still up, and came to the door, a soft grin on her face. "How'd the show go tonight?" she asked. Renji slammed something down and gave another hard stare at Grimmjow, then pushed past Hallibel and went inside toward the bathroom. Her eyes widened, and she looked questioningly back and forth between her boyfriend and Renji's.

Shuhei sighed and went inside to grab the case of beer they had gotten earlier to celebrate with after the show. He cracked one open and took a sip, shaking his head in reply to Hallibel, and sat down on the futon couch in the middle of the garage. He pulled out a second beer and then handed the case to Grimmjow as he opened the can and passed it to Renji, who had just stormed back into the room. The red-haired man snatched the can and took a long pull off of it, then glared at Grimmjow, and pointed an accusatory finger. "You stay the fuck away from him, do you hear me?"

"What?" Grimmjow was sincerely confused, and Hallibel stepped out of the doorway, coming into the room to stand at Grimm's side in a gesture of moral support. The tension in the room was growing thicker by the second.

"You heard me," Renji snapped, taking another long drink. "I saw the way you were getting all cozy with him up there on stage, leaning your back against his while you were playing… Just keep your distance, alright?" He flung himself down on the futon couch, and Shuhei reached to touch his arm, but Renji jerked away angrily. "Don't. Not right now."

Grimmjow stared wide eyed at Hallibel, who herself wore an inexplicable smirk. She seemed to know something Grimmjow didn't, and he shook his head at her, silently asking, _Well? Are you going to share?_

"Renji," she began softly. He glared up at her, not quite as directly angry at her yet as he was with the other two. Hallibel crouched down in front of him, and gave him a soft smile. "Are you jealous of their chemistry?" The drummer opened his mouth, and then shut it again promptly, glowering at Hallibel. She chuckled musically, much to the annoyance of the three men gathered in the room. "Renji… That's all it is, it's just chemistry on the stage. The two of them don't have anything going on on the side, I promise you. Grimmjow would have told me, and he hasn't said a thing." She glanced back with a hint of threat in her eyes, and her Omega shook his head, vigorously denying any possible accusation. Satisfied, and turned back to Renji, and laid her hand on his cheek. "Renji," she said in a quiet tone, drawing a look from him that was finally less angry, and more pained than anything. "Grimmjow has a lot of animal magnetism. He can't really control it, and I'm sorry for that. It serves him well on the stage, and apparently, Shuu has been playing to that. I'm sorry if it's made you insecure in any way, but you should know… Even if there _was _something going on between them, it wouldn't be a threat to you two." Now it was Renji's turn to look confused.

Hallibel explained. "He's bound to me, Renji. His soul is mine. I've let him have his fun in the past, because yes, his sex drive is insatiable, even for me." A licentious look was briefly exchanged between her and Grimmjow, before turning back to Renji. "But none of the rest of it means anything. I am his Alpha, and he is my Omega, and we are mated. I know we're not Hollows anymore, but there's old magic in these souls of ours, and something as ancient and deep-laid as those rituals doesn't get cast aside so easily. So I assure you, even though there is nothing going on between them… That even if there _were, _it would be no threat to you and Shuu's relationship."

Renji nodded numbly, and allowed Shuhei's hand on his arm finally. "It's like she said, Ren… It's just the stage chemistry. I mean, you feel it too, when the crowd gets amped… Remember how hard you were after the show tonight? It's like that."

Renji averted his eyes, and a hint of color spread across his cheeks as he mumbled something incoherent into his beer can and took another long drink, finishing it off and grabbing another from the case.

Hallibel grinned and stood, folding her arms. "Oh, I see now what's _really _going on here," she teased. Renji glanced at her, mortified, and she laughed. "Don't be ashamed, Renji," she offered, going over to the perplexed Grimmjow and wrapping her arms around his chest, giving him a loving gaze. "As I said, he has a lot of animal magnetism… It's hard not to, after all."

"Wait… Did I miss something here?" Shuhei asked, taking a sip, trying to catch the eye of his boyfriend, who was shamefully glaring at the floor, in spite of Hallibel's reassurances.

"You and me both," Grimmjow agreed, looking in confusion at Hallibel's knowing smile. He opened his can and took a drink.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hallibel lilted. "This whole conversation was started because Renji was a little too turned on by watching you two on stage."

Grimmjow sputtered his mouthful of beer back into the can, and Shuhei's eyes widened. Renji bowed his head into his knees, covering it with his hands, as if trying to hide himself. Shuhei leaned over him, whispering, "Is it true, Ren?" even though his partner's response was more than enough of an answer.

When Renji glanced up, Hallibel was crouching down in front of him, a look of mischief in her eye. "It's true, isn't it? Tell them." He nodded in a defeated manner, only serving to widen her lascivious smile.

"Would you like to see more?"

The question deadened the room, and nobody made a sound as they all pondered the implications of this.

"Renji…" She gripped his jaw, and turned him to face her. His eyes were full of guilt. She brought her mouth close to his ear, and in the silence of the room, her whispered words could be clearly heard. "Do you want to watch my Grimmjow fuck Shuhei?"

Renji shuddered, and closed his eyes. She ran her fingertips down his neck lightly, sealing the deal for herself as she stood. She looked at Grimmjow with a smile. "But I get to watch."

Grimmjow gave a maniacal laugh, and kissed her hotly, then turned to Shuhei and started moving toward him, undoing his belt. Hallibel popped him in the back of the head with an open palm. "Don't just rape him, _baka_!" she scolded. "Look at him, he's terrified." She went over to the confused and trembling Shuhei, and knelt before him. "Shuu, listen to me… It's going to be ok, alright? This is going to help clear things up between the three of you, trust me."

The base player looked at his boyfriend, who was still looking down in shame. "Do you really want this, Renji?" he asked, skeptical. No reply from Renji.

"He would have said so if he didn't," Hallibel reasoned. She glanced at Renji as she spoke the next words. "He's ashamed at himself, that he finds the idea of it so arousing. He shouldn't be. There's no shame in it, no shame in pleasure or arousal, when it's given freely." When she pulled back, her spot was taken by Grimmjow, and he brought his face close to Shuu's, his breathing heavy, a serious look on his face.

"Hey," he whispered, the slightest hint of a smile on his face as he brought his nose to Shuu's, and nuzzled him softly. Shuhei instantly moaned, shocked at how quickly the tension in the room from the argument shifted into a sexual desire for him. Grimmjow began planting tiny kisses down Shuu's jaw line, working toward his throat.

The dark haired man glanced over at his boyfriend, and was strangely aroused to see him watching, enrapt. He reached out, and entangled his fingers in Renji's, receiving an approving squeeze in return.

"You can stop them at any time," Hallibel assured Renji. "Or join them," she added, almost as an afterthought, eliciting a shocked look from Renji and Shuhei both, and a snicker from Grimmjow, who began to lick and suck softly at Shuhei's neck.

Shuhei sighed, and leaned back heavily into the couch, followed closely by Grimmjow, who pressed against his body with his own, his hand finding the hem of the dark-haired man's shirt and pushing it up a bit, fingers teasing at the bare skin of his side. Shuhei jerked a little, tightening his grip on Renji's hand, and glancing helplessly up at Hallibel, who leaned against the wall with crossed arms and a pleased smile. She didn't seem bothered in the slightest by this, and Shuhei wasn't sure if he was comforted or disturbed by that. He was drawn out of his thoughts though and firmly anchored into his body as teeth clamped onto his shoulder, and he cried out, arching his back. Grimmjow pulled back for a moment, afraid he'd hurt the base player, and glanced at Renji.

"Masochist," Renji offered, and was met with a sparkle in Grimmjow's eyes.

"Is that so, Shuu… hei?" Grimmjow asked breathily, punctuating his words by running his nails up a quivering flank, and then dragging them down with force. The base player gave a half-stifled cry, slumping a bit, trembling under the rough touch. Grimmjow glanced back at Hallibel and motioned with his head toward the back of the futon, and she understood his meaning. She moved behind the couch and released it, lowering the back and spreading it back into a bed. Shuhei had not been expecting that, lost in his rapture, so when the back of the couch fell away, he clutched at the blue-haired man. The tight grip brought a pleasantly amused hum from Grimmjow, and he pressed the base player back firmly into the newly flattened cushion, redoubling his efforts at the dark-haired man's throat, each bite pulling another drawn-out whine from Shuhei's lips.

Renji adjusted to recline on his side, watching them, utterly enthralled. Hallibel's whispered words in his ear shot a bolt of electricity through him. "You look like you might enjoy joining them… Why don't you?" He glanced up at her hesitantly, but she smiled sincerely and inclined her head in a permissive bow.

He didn't wait to be invited twice. Renji crawled across the futon, and pressed his mouth over Shuhei's whimpers, slipping his tongue into the shocked mouth of his lover, who only knew that Grimmjow's mouth was already busy on his throat. His eyes flew open, and he gazed deeply into Renji's eyes for a moment before closing them again in submissive satisfaction, returning the kiss with passion.

Grimmjow sat up a bit, sensing someone close to him, and watched the two of them with a smile. He glanced up at Hallibel and she nodded approvingly at them. When Renji pulled back, his eyes met Grimmjow's, and he glanced back at Shuhei again, indicating Grimmjow take a turn. The breathless Shuhei didn't get a chance to even collect himself before Grimmjow pressed against his lips and tongue in a hungry assault. Shuu saw Renji watching with need, and shivered as he felt fingers creep up his inner thigh. He wasn't sure whose they were, and at this point, he didn't even care; he was completely awash in sensation.

Grimmjow pulled back, looking to Renji, and there was an instant of measured tension between the two men; then, Renji reached up and grabbed Grimmjow's hair and pulled him into a deep kiss. Grimmjow smiled and returned the gesture, tongues battling for dominance as Shuhei watched in utter shock from below, writhing in desperate want. Renji finally pulled back with a satisfied smile, and pushed Grimmjow playfully back toward Shuhei's mouth. The blue-haired man returned to the kiss that Renji had interrupted.

WWWWWWWWWW

Someone pushed the side of Shuhei's shirt up to his neck, and Renji began to lick and suck at his right nipple, teeth teasing lightly, tugging at the silver ring piercing there. A muffled groan was swallowed by Grimmjow's penetrating kiss, but released into the room as he sat up to see what was going on. He watched for a moment, and grinned as Renji pushed up the other side of the shirt, fingers stroking over the hardened nipple, pulling gently and twisting a bit at the ring there. His eyes spoke volumes to Grimmjow, inviting him to join in the fun, and Grimmjow gladly complied, shifting his weight off of Shuhei's body and lying alongside of him, matching Renji's position as he watched the red-haired man's mouth carefully, trying to mimic the motions on the other nipple. Grimmjow knew that Renji's inherent familiarity with Shuu's body would show him how to assist with bringing the most pleasure to their shared 'victim.'

"Oh, f…fuck!" Shuhei cried, a tear escaping his eye and rolling down his face toward his ear. He shook his head, gasping. "Ngh… It's too much…"

"Too much, he says, Ren," Grimmjow said, shooting a dangerous grin at the drummer. "Should we show him too much?" Renji smiled comfortably, and nodded. "How do you want to do this?"

Renji's face became thoughtful as he flicked his tongue across Shuu's nipple, causing the slender man below him to jerk. "I get to top," Renji assured, slight hesitation in his voice.

Grimmjow nodded in understanding, a mischievous grin lighting across his face. "Would you mind if he sucked me?"

Renji grinned himself, giving a little shiver, and began to undo his belt. "Hmmm… Alright, but me first."

Shuhei hadn't been listening, lost in his pleasure, so was shocked when he was flipped over by strong hands, and placed up on his elbows before Renji's quivering arousal. He automatically wet his lips and ran his tongue over the beaded fluid at the tip, then followed the trail down the shaft, where it had been weeping for some time. Renji tangled his fingers in the short black hair, pulling at the roots. Shuhei moaned as he buried the erection in his mouth suddenly, his moan sending shivers of delight coursing through Renji, and he groaned to match his lover. Grimmjow rubbed in restless anticipation at his straining jeans, seeing that Shuhei was rather skilled with that sweet-tasting mouth of his. He leaned in and ran his tongue over Shuu's side, nipping at the sensitive flesh there, sending the dark-haired man into a low guttural groan, which caused Renji again to match him with his own voice as the vibrations traveled from Shuu's mouth, up Renji's length. The blue-haired lead guitar player dug his nails into a jean-clad thigh with a grin, and the other two increased their volume.

WWWWWWWWWW

"This is nice," Grimmjow murmured, eyes hazed by lust as he glanced up at Hallibel. She smiled indulgently at him, a look which he took to mean, _You're welcome. _She seemed to be enjoying herself thoroughly just with the watching, and he knew good and well that when it was all said and done, and Renji and Shuu were cuddled passed out on the futon, she'd be taking _him_ back to their room and having her own way with him. Grimmjow shivered a little at this knowledge, which he could read clearly in the fire that burned in her eyes, and she made no effort to hide it. She gave him just a little teasing flicker of her Reiatsu of Dominance, and he trembled, sending a tendril of his own Dominance back at her. Her eyes rolled back for a moment, and he saw her knees weaken as she staggered just the slightest bit to regain her balance. She gave Grimmjow a scolding look, and nodded for him to pay attention to completing the task at hand, which he was happy to oblige.

Hallibel knew it had been a long time since Grimmjow had been with anyone other than her, but also that monogamy wasn't in the feline's makeup. She had a high sex drive herself, but all the same, he'd been wearing her out lately with his constant demands, and so she had decided that maybe a little something harmless on the side would do him some good. It wouldn't be so bad even if this became a regular thing between the four of them, she admitted to herself. She knew that after it all, Renji would realize just how unfounded his insecurity had been. Grimmjow loved the both of them equally, as brothers, and there was no way that he would ever come between them or play favorites.

Hallibel chuckled inwardly at her clever solution to disperse the tension growing between the three of them. She had to admit; watching them writhing there before her on the futon _was_ highly arousing, but she wouldn't join them. She'd have her way with Grimmjow after the three of them were done, because she knew he wouldn't be fully satisfied by that point, though the other two would be more than that, probably falling instantly asleep, exhausted by the insatiable lust of her Panther King. She could see the look in his eyes, from his occasional glances, that he was saving the hottest portions of his fire for her. These two couldn't handle but the merest brush of his scorching instinct, she knew, and they'd be sapped by that much; but Grimmjow's appetite was merely being whetted by this.

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Grimmjow's fingers deftly worked the belt buckle of Shuhei's jeans, and he felt the slender, compactly muscular man tremble with anticipation beneath his confident hands. He slipped the denim down past Shuu's hips, and looked to Renji, who was enjoying himself thoroughly. "Hey," Grimmjow called, drawing the drummer back to a blurry semblance of reality. Grimmjow's smile was matched by Renji's, and the drummer nodded. Grimmjow leaned down to Shuhei's ear, and whispered, "Alright, Shuu… Slick him up, we're going to switch."

Shuhei mumbled something around the arousal in his mouth, and worked his tongue furiously. Grimmjow prompted him for clarification, and when Renji withdrew and shifted his position, Shuhei looked up at Grimmjow with hazy, half-lidded, deep grey eyes, and a shy smile. "I said, I like the pain," he admitted, and the guitar player couldn't contain his shiver of excitement.

"You're something else, know that, Shuu?" Grimmjow asked as he moved in front of him, undoing his own pants and sliding them down. "I never expected something like that from the quiet, well-mannered Shuhei Hisagi."

"I hope you're not disappointed," Shuhei teased, and didn't wait for a reply before dragging his tongue down Grimmjow's length. The ex-Espada gave a shuddering curse, and clutched at the short black hair in an attempt to ground himself against the intense sensation.

Shuhei himself froze then, and moaned, "Ahh… F… Ngh… Fuuuck… Renji," as his head fell to the mattress and his arms shook weakly. Grimmjow looked up at Renji, who was gripping Shuhei's slim hips and pressing into him with no warning, a look of sadistic ecstasy painted across his face. Grimmjow smirked, and glanced again over at Hallibel, who still leaned against the wall, arms crossed, smiling libidinously at the trio. Grimmjow could smell the heightened pheromone levels his Alpha was emitting in her obvious arousal, and it was driving him insane. He didn't want to hurt Shuhei, but keeping himself under such strict control with these two was getting more and more difficult, especially with Hallibel watching. His Reiatsu of Dominance would crush them both, he knew, and so he continued to struggle against his instinct, holding fast to the knowledge that soon enough, he'd be able to unleash his full lust on her.

Shuhei tried to steady his arms, and push himself back up to attend to Grimmjow's suddenly neglected erection, but the pain of Renji pressing into him was exquisite, and his body went limp. His hips only remained lifted because Renji held them, and he fell back into his lover's lap, crying out as tears of pleasured agony slipped from his eyelashes and wetted the futon cover. He gritted his teeth and pressed back against Renji, both of them moaning in tandem at the sensation of him being fully buried inside. They sat stilled like that for a few moments, as Shuhei relaxed around the thickness. He raised a shaky hand and laid it on Grimmjow's length, swirling the pad of his thumb over the tip, spreading fluid over the head. He felt Grimmjow jerk, and heard the sharp, hissing intake of breath. Shuhei finally managed to pull himself up, and glanced back over his shoulder at Renji, who smiled at him.

"Do you want me to?" Shuhei asked vaguely, and moaned as Renji thrust into him.

"Yes," Renji replied huskily. "Suck him. I love watching you two… It's so fucking hot, especially when I'm buried inside of you, Shuu."

A collective moan of pleasure fell across the room at Renji's confession, and Shuhei raised his eyes, looking up at Grimmjow, who was rubbing his length against Shuhei's cheek. Grimmjow gave a soft smile, ruffling the dark hair playfully as he slid the tip of himself against moist lips. A hot tongue peeked out to lap at the fluid there, a string of it stretching from Shuu's lips to Grimmjow's slit, and they both quivered at the sight of it before Shuhei buried that length in the scorching hot pocket of his mouth. Grimmjow gave an animalistic growl at the introduction of a swirling tongue, twisting along him in burning trails of wet pleasure.

"Ohh, damn," Grimmjow murmured. "You've trained him well, Renji."

Renji grinned as he slowed his thrusting to an agonizingly deliberate pace, wringing a guttural lament from Shuhei, followed right on its heels by a moan from Grimmjow, as the vibrations from Shuhei's vocalization travelled through him. He slumped forward, catching himself against the base player's back, digging his nails into the tender flesh along his lower spine. They both cried out together again, and Grimmjow momentarily pressed his head against Renji's chest, glancing up into the rich coffee-colored eyes of the drummer.

"Hey," Grimmjow murmured with a smirk. Renji smirked back at him, and lifted Grimmjow's chin as he leaned down toward him.

WWWWWWWWWW

Tanned fingers twisted into thick red hair as Grimmjow pulled Renji into an insatiable entanglement of tongues, both of them panting heavily, hands roaming under sweat-drenched t-shirts, sliding over slick and fevered flesh. Grimmjow tugged the other man's shirt off over his head, and Renji's hair tie came undone in the process, his vermilion mane cascading freely over his shoulders then, brushing the black abstract tattoos adorning his chest, creating a glorious splash of color to the stark contrast.

WWWWWWWWWW

Grimmjow brushed the long hair over behind the owner's shoulder, and ran his tongue along the black marks, nibbling and sucking at stiff nipples, causing Renji to buck against Shuhei, who let out another passionate whimper, and trembled on his knees.

"You'd better go, if you're going to," Renji whispered to Grimmjow, who looked up questioningly. "He's about to collapse, I'm going to have to lay him down on his back…" he said, glancing down at Shuhei.

"Hmmm…" Ice blue eyes fixed on the drummer, Grimmjow sat up a bit, and pointed to a spot between his neck and shoulder, pulling Renji's head toward him. He complied, and began to lick and suck at the spot, extracting a keen of satisfaction from the guitarist, who tightened his grip in the sanguine locks. Renji bit down, digging his teeth into the soft flesh with the same increasing intensity as the fingers that yanked steadily at his hair.

With a raspy growl, Grimmjow gave a final thrust, and spilled his scorching hot release into Shuhei's encompassing orifice. He drew back just as Shuhei fell onto his forearms, his elbows finally giving out on him. He looked up with a pleased smile, and Grimmjow took his chin in a tanned hand, tipping it up. "My, you _have _trained him well, Renji," Grimmjow laughed as he inspected the pale, tattooed face. "You didn't spill a drop, Shuu. Impressive."

Shuhei glanced back over his shoulder, and faltered for a moment. "It's alright, Shuu, I've got you," Renji assured his lover. The dark haired man let out a cry as Renji withdrew, and he sagged against the mattress, held aloft only by a strong arm around his waist, which lowered him gently and assisted him onto his back. "Better?" Renji asked tenderly, and Shuhei replied with a soft smile and a nod.

His face turned to anguished ecstasy as Renji penetrated him again, and his hands clutched at the bare back that bowed over him. Red hair spilled over two sets of heaving shoulders, and brushed tattooed cheeks as they rocked together, making nondescript vocalizations of their mutual pleasure.

Grimmjow tucked himself back into his jeans and zipped up, then lay alongside the lovers, and reached a hand in between them to wrap around Shuhei's own neglected arousal. "AAH!" he wailed, not expecting the contact, and bucking wildly against Grimmjow's encircling fingers. Renji reached a hand under Shuhei's waist, to lift his hips and shift the angle. "Oh, f… fu-uu-uck," Shuhei began to sob, tears welling up and quickly beginning to stream from the corners of his eyes and across his temples, following the path of gravity dictated by his position.

"Oh, I'm… Ngh!" Renji groaned, and gave a few final, urgent thrusts, painting Shuhei's insides with his release. Not a moment later, Shuhei himself climaxed, shooting up onto his stomach and covering Grimmjow's hand with his sticky fluid. His head fell to the side and he lay panting, spent. He whimpered as Renji withdrew and Grimmjow released him, and glanced half-heartedly at the mess he had made.

Grimmjow looked up at Hallibel, who was still watching, a softer look in her eyes now. "Hey, Tia, could you…" He raised his hand, just about to ask her to fetch and hand towel, when Renji's mouth descended unexpectedly upon his fingers, and a tongue began to lap away all traces of the liquid. Renji smiled as Grimmjow leaned over the dark-haired man's stomach, proceeding to clean that area in much the same manner.

WWWWWWWWWW

Shuhei protested weakly, twitching and moaning in over-stimulation, nearly unconscious already, completely exhausted now that the three of them were done. Grimmjow looked him in the eye, and smiled gently, pressing his palm to Shuhei's cheek for a moment of unspoken communication. The base player smiled drowsily back, and returned the gesture limply before snuggling into Renji.

The drummer leveled a tearful, serious look at the blue-haired man, and brought his hand behind the other's head, leaning into him and pressing their foreheads together, holding him there for a long moment. "Thank you, Grimmjow."

"Anytime, brother," Grimmjow replied with uncommon sincerity, bringing his hand up behind red hair to pull into him tightly. "I love you both…" He leaned back, and gripped Renji's forearm in a returned gesture of camaraderie. "Are we good now?"

Renji lay down beside the already slumbering Shuhei, and smiled, nodding. Hallibel had procured a blanket from somewhere, and she draped it gently over the two of them, inclining her head to motion to Grimmjow to follow her and let them sleep in peace. Renji reached his hand toward her and she took it warmly, enclosing it between her own, and bending down to kiss the back of it. "Thank you, Hallibel," he whispered, curling around his slumbering lover.

"See you in the morning, Renji," she told him softly, turning off the light and pulling the door closed behind her and Grimmjow.


End file.
